TravisEtienne Jr.

News: 4 days agoEtienne was rested for all three of the Saints' preseason contests and is fully healthy heading into the team's Week 1 game in Detroit.

Spin: Etienne was one of the few Saints running backs to avoid any sort of injury scare or setback during training camp. Ty Chandler (knee) is out for the season after landing on injured reserve, and Alvin Kamara (knee) appears to be trending toward sitting out Week 1. Additionally, Kendre Miller sustained a minor undisclosed injury during practice Tuesday and is day-to-day, while Audric Estime is healthy but missed time in camp due to an ankle issue. After signing a four-year, $52 million deal in March, Etienne had already looked poised to handle a sizable workload for New Orleans both as a lead runner and pass catcher, and the current condition of his backups following camp and the preseason adds further fuel to the notion that he'll be in line for heavy volume right of the gate.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Etienne signed with the Saints after spending the first five seasons of his pro career with the Jaguars. The 2021 first-round pick has produced at least 1,399 scrimmage yards in three of the past four seasons and scored a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2025. A capable rusher and receiver, Etienne has already reached 1,000-plus rushing yards three times and has 35-plus catches in each of the past four seasons. Even if the Saints retain Alvin Kamara as a situational player, Etienne will have a clear path to feature-back duties in an ascending offense led by second-year QB Tyler Shough. That will be enough to position the 27-year-old for his third top-15 fantasy campaign in four years. Consider Etienne a solid RB2 target with backend RB1 upside.