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Etienne’s recent production, new contract, and thin depth chart all point to a featured role in New Orleans. His merely OK efficiency and uncertain receiving ceiling keep this from being a smash profile, though. Etienne should see enough to justify his RB18 ADP but falls short of being an exciting draft target.
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Etienne posted 260 carries, 1,107 yards, and 7 TDs in 17 games. He added 36 catches, 292 yards, and a career-high 6 receiving TDs.
That translated to an RB10 finish in PPR and half-PPR. He reached top-12 PPR status in five games, with two others at RB13. Only three of his games landed outside the top 30.
Despite the strong season, Etienne didn’t see workhorse usage. He finished 16th in snap share, 20th in carry share, and 28th in route rate.
His red-zone role looked solid on the surface, with a 13th-place finish in RZ carry share and 14th in carry share inside the 10. The bigger concern showed up at the goal line, where he ranked just 27th in carry share inside the 5, barely ahead of Trevor Lawrence (40.7% to 33.3%).
Etienne didn’t deliver standout efficiency. Among 51 RBs with 90+ carries, he ranked:
His passing-game efficiency offered a bit more optimism. Among 42 RBs with 30+ targets, he finished 11th in yards after catch per reception, 15th in yards per catch, and 22nd in yards per route run.
Etienne’s fantasy production came alongside first-year HC Liam Coen. The scheme proved friendly for RBs, ranking fourth in total plays, eighth in total rushes, and 10th in situation-neutral pace. The Jags also finished sixth in scoring.
The O-line settled in above average, finishing 14th in Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade and sixth in ESPN’s run-block win rate.
Etienne played all 17 games last year, marking the third time in the past four seasons he’s done so. His last missed time came in 2024, when a hamstring injury cost him two games.
Etienne signed a four-year deal with $28 million guaranteed. The deal ranks sixth among RBs in guarantees, giving us strong evidence that the Saints plan to feature him.
The rest of the depth chart only confirms it. Alvin Kamara played only 11 games last year and set career lows in yards per carry (3.6), receptions (33), and yards per route run (0.78). GM Mickey Loomis admitted that he’s still trying to figure out if Kamara will remain in New Orleans.
The Saints could still add another RB if Kamara departs, but the current competition isn’t intimidating.
Kendre Miller still carries theoretical upside, but durability has remained the issue. He’s now working back from an October ACL tear.
Devin Neal was a productive four-year player at Kansas, but he entered the league as a Round 6 pick and played just 10 games as a rookie. A hamstring injury ended his season.
We project Etienne for 289 touches, a total that would have ranked 12th among RBs last year.
QB Tyler Shough enters his first full season as the starter. He made strides as a 26-year-old rookie, finishing 12th in adjusted completion rate and 13th in yards per attempt among 42 QBs with 150+ attempts.
Round 1 Jordyn Tyson gives this unit a huge WR2 upgrade next to Chris Olave. Rashid Shaheed finished as last year’s second-most productive WR (44-499-2) despite being traded to Seattle after nine games. The improved receiver talent should help lighten boxes for Etienne.
Former Round 1 OTs Kelvin Banks Jr. and Taliese Fuaga give the unit strong bookends. David Edwards joins them at LG after landing a deal that ranks 10th among guards in guaranteed money. He ranked 29th among 73 qualifying guards in PFF run-blocking grade.
This unit will need better play from RG Cesar Ruiz and better health from C Erik McCoy to reach its potential. Ruiz tied for 67th in run-blocking grade last year, and injuries have forced McCoy to miss 20 games over the past two seasons.
The 2025 Saints ranked just 29th in situation-neutral run rate. The production wasn’t much better: 27th in rushing TDs, 28th in rushing yards, and 31st in yards per carry.
That likely comes back to the Saints’ struggling personnel. Alvin Kamara managed just 3.6 yards per carry and posted the second lowest success rate of his career.
HC Kellen Moore has a mixed history with rushing volume, but he’s certainly not opposed to leaning on the run:
Our projections have Etienne for nearly 15 carries per game (plus 2.4 catches), plenty to support mid-tier RB2 value.
Ideally, the Saints would move on from Kamara and shuttle more receiving work to Etienne.
A ceiling case would also require Shough to improve and lead a higher-scoring offense. Last year’s Saints ranked just 28th in points and 27th in red-zone plays per game. Etienne would likely benefit from any scoring boost and give him a shot at finishing as a low-end RB1.
Etienne’s efficiency was merely OK last season. If he doesn’t improve, and Kamara remains a Saint, Etienne could post limited receiving production and struggle for consistent RB2 value.
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Travis Etienne To IR
Travis Etienne To IR
The Saints are placing RB Travis Etienne on IR with his hamstring injury, HC Kellen Moore said Thursday. Etienne is out for at least the next 4 games. That extends to New Orleans' Week 8 bye, so Week 9 is the earliest we'll see Etienne again.
Travis Etienne Will Miss Time With Hamstring Injury
Travis Etienne Will Miss Time With Hamstring Injury
Saints HC Kellen Moore confirmed that RB Travis Etienne will miss time with his hamstring injury. Exactly how much time remains unclear. It's worth noting that New Orleans has a Week 8 bye, so Etienne could miss 4 games, take the bye week, and return for Week 9. We'll see if he lands on IR later this week.
Travis Etienne Leaves With Hamstring Injury
Travis Etienne Leaves With Hamstring Injury
Saints RB Travis Etienne appeared to injure his left hamstring in the third quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Raiders. He was limited in practice this week with a hamstring but left off the final injury report. We'll update Etienne's status when we know more.
It might be time to worry about Travis Etienne
It might be time to worry about Travis Etienne
The Saints upset the Ravens in Week 2, but the RB split makes Travis Etienne a fantasy concern going forward. Alvin Kamara returned to the lineup after missing Week 1, and Kendre Miller was inactive. That didn’t seem to help Etienne, who had 8 rushes for 25 yards. Kamara had 9 carries for 15 yards and was most active in the passing game, catching 5 of 6 targets for 7 yards, while Etienne caught both his targets for 6 yards. It appears Etienne is set to split time no matter which other RBs are active.
Kendre Miller A Healthy Scratch
Kendre Miller A Healthy Scratch
Saints RB Kendre Miller is inactive for today's game vs. the Ravens. He matched RB Travis Etienne with 9 carries last week but gets the boot today with RB Alvin Kamara back. We'll see how big a role Kamara plays in his 2026 debut, but Miller's absence makes Etienne a slightly better fantasy bet.
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