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Etienne is firmly in the questionable camp for the Saints’ Week 10 game against the Panthers. New Orleans Football’s Nick Underhill believes that the Saints would keep Etienne on a snap count if he makes his return this weekend, noting “they took it easy” on Jordyn Tyson, who returned from a lengthy hamstring injury last week. If active, Etienne likely warrants low-end RB2 treatment.

Coming off injured reserve, Etienne can practice for 21 days before the Saints must officially either activate him or shut him down. The Saints’ No. 1 running back has been sidelined since unsuccessfully trying to play through a hamstring strain in Week 3 against the Raiders. Audric Estime could warrant RB2/FLEX treatment again this week if Etienne is not ready to face the Panthers on Sunday.

Etienne hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3 against the Raiders. The 27-year-old back will need to have his 21-day return window opened before he can take the practice field, so we’ll see if Moore and the staff elect to designate him for a return ahead of Wednesday’s practice. Until that happens, Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and CJ Donaldson will continue to operate as the Saints’ top options, with Kamara the likely leader in what has been an underwhelming backfield this season.

This is a tough break. The Saints’ high-priced free agent signee will be sidelined for at least four games. Their Week 8 bye makes him eligible to return in Week 9. Veteran RB Alvin Kamara is the next man up, followed by RB Kendre Miller. Both should be rostered in 12-team leagues. Kamara will likely get the first crack at the starting job, but he has struggled to play efficiently this season, and coach Kellen Moore gave RB CJ Donaldson the backfield’s first green zone touch last week.

It’s unclear how much time Etienne will miss, but it wouldn’t be surprising if this became an injured reserve stint. Alvin Kamara could find himself in a more elevated role next week, perhaps with Kendre Miller joining him in a committee. Etienne exited Week 3’s loss to the Raiders with the injury after rushing for 57 yards on 13 carries. It had already been a tough scene for Etienne-reliant fantasy managers this year just based on how the results on the field were going; this won’t help.

Etienne entered the game with a hamstring injury and appears to have aggravated it on an explosive run. The Saints’ starting running back broke off a 16-yard gain in the third quarter, setting up a Saints passing touchdown on the following play. Etienne could be seen grabbing at his left hamstring at the end of the run. He had mostly been limited to modest single-digit gains before that, rushing 13 times for 57 yards and catching 2-of-2 targets for 13 yards on the day. He seems highly unlikely to return. Etienne and the other veteran running backs notably ceded the first backfield touch inside the green zone to RB CJ Donaldson.

We do not yet know today’s participation level, but Etienne logged two limited sessions to begin the week. Hopefully, we get a report pre-game revealing the injury’s severity, so we can better assess his potential usage. Given the Saints’ prior backfield workload splits and Etienne’s soft-tissue strain, he should probably be viewed as a low-end RB2/FLEX starter right now.

Etienne remains limited, which keeps him in the questionable camp for the Saints’ Week 3 game against the Raiders. Saints RB3 Kendre Miller was sidelined by an illness, but those rarely impact NFL players’ availability on game day. Veteran RB Alvin Kamara should be rostered wherever he is available.

Etienne begins the week with a limited session, which is either good or bad, depending on when the injury occurred. If this is a lingering issue from Sunday, Etienne should be considered likely to play. Limited practices early in the week are generally a good sign. However, if he suffered the injury during today’s practice, his Week 3 availability would be in jeopardy. Veteran Saints RB Alvin Kamara would likely get the start, but RB Kendre Miller would be FLEX-viable if Etienne sits.

Etienne tallied just two carries in the first half of this one while Alvin Kamara led the Saints backfield with 10 total touches through the first two quarters. Things would shift more in Etienne’s favor in the second half, as he out-snapped Kamara 21-to-7 while out-touching him 8-to-4. It was a disappointing outing overall, however, for the 27-year-old back, who has yet to find the end zone in his first two games and has managed just 109 yards from scrimmage on 26 touches. He’ll be hard to trust as anything more than an RB2/RB3 in next week’s game against the Raiders.

Etienne was taken off the field a surprising amount, ceding nine carries to Kendre Miller and another two to CJ Donaldson. Donaldson also logged two targets. While his role on the ground was concerning for fantasy managers, a nine-target outing cushioned the blow slightly. In PPR leagues, Etienne did enough. Unless the Saints are going to play in overtime shootouts every week, Etienne will need to take on more rushing work to be a weekly RB2. With Alvin Kamara potentially returning next week, Etienne will sit on the RB2/3 border for his date with the Ravens.

What does this mean for fantasy purposes? In short, it means he thinks the Saints are going to feature Etienne as an offensive focal point. Underhill believes the Saints are entering a “post-Alvin Kamara world,” although he acknowledges that Kamara may stick around for one more season. That said, Underhill thinks Etienne will operate as a “full-volume starter” and describes him as a “three-down player.” If Kamara does play for the Saints this season, Underhill does not think Kamara’s presence “changes the outcome significantly” for Etienne’s touch count. Toward the end of the segment, Underhill projects Etienne for 235 carries, 1,050 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 42 catches, 330 receiving yards and 3-4 receiving touchdowns. Splitting the difference on the receiving touchdowns brings the total to 231.5 PPR points, which would have made him the RB15 last season. Treating him as a high-end RB2 with RB1 upside makes sense.

Underhill believes RB Travis Etienne’s skillset “is exactly what the Saints need if inside zone and outside zone are going to remain the base.” That said, the Saints are also excited about Etienne’s versatility. Paganetti praised his intelligence, pass protection, route running ability and added that Etienne is more than just a one-cut runner. If RB Alvin Kamara, 30, remains with the team, Underhill believes Etienne’s presence allows the team to use Kamara selectively, rather than relying on him all game long. Underhill adds that the Saints’ play-action passing game was very efficient in 13 personnel, albeit via a small sample size. The front office added multiple tight ends this offseason and the coaching staff wants the running game “to feed the passing game,” which could mean more runs out of three-tight end sets. Etienne is looking like an RB2 with RB1 upside in an ascending offense.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported last week that Etienne “could fit” with the Saints. Now, the 27-year-old back is headed to the Big Easy to presumably take over as the team’s RB1, immediately putting Alvin Kamara’s already uncertain future even more in doubt. Etienne rushed 260 times for 1,107 yards last season while also scoring seven times on the ground. He added another 36 catches for 292 yards and six receptions, averaging a solid 5.6 yards per touch on the season. Etienne is a versatile three-down back whose pass-catching upside will put him in the conversation as a high-end RB2 in fantasy leagues next season. Assuming a high-volume role in New Orleans, he should have a chance to replicate last year’s success when he finished as the RB14 in fantasy points per game.

This is interesting in the wake of Alvin Kamara’s contract restructuring, which some outside observers have speculated could foreshadow a retirement. We haven’t seen the Saints bandied around as a running back market yet, but the room is certainly barren past Kamara. Etienne should do quite well for himself by Wednesday.

Raanan reports players like Travis Etienne, Jeremiyah Love, and Kenneth Walker are among the players the Giants are reportedly interested in, while adding “there seems to be a clear focus on becoming a more physical run-heavy team.” The Giants saw last year’s rookie, Cam Skattebo, run for 101-410-5 in eight games before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury, but the team is hopeful he’ll be cleared in time for training camp. Still, the talent behind Skattebo is thin, but any big name-addition in the draft or free agency would undoubtedly limit the fantasy upside of both players in 2026. The Giants currently hold the No. 5 overall pick, but are up against a tight cap with just over $3.3 million currently available, per OverTheCap. They’ll have some work to do if they hope to land a big-name back in free agency.

Etienne will become an unrestricted free agent when free agency officially begins. This would be quite the fun pairing. The Chiefs’ offense, featuring RBs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, averaged just 4.2 yards per carry during the regular season, ranking 20th in the NFL. Adding an explosive player like Etienne would be a significant upgrade. Both Hunt and Pacheco are set to become free agents as well.

“The figurative writing was on the wall for Etienne and [Devin] Lloyd in the last month when the Jaguars extended receiver Jakobi Meyers and left tackle Cole Van Lanen to ensure they wouldn’t hit the market,” O’Halloran writes, continuing: “Did the Jaguars choose Meyers/Van Lanen over Etienne/Lloyd? Ultimately, yes.” If Etienne does leave Jacksonville, O’Halloran believes Bhayshul Tuten will be the No. 1 back in 2026 with LeQuint Allen as the “No. 2/third-down back/kick returner.” Etienne isn’t much of a between-the-tackles pounder (see Trevor Lawrence’s red zone rushing role) and is probably a better committee back, but he might have a chance to find his way into a No. 1 role in free agency after a strong 2025 season.

Unlike his team, Etienne got to end a rebound season on a high note with over 100 yards from scrimmage and a score. He finished the regular season with 260 carries for 1,107 yards and seven scores. Etienne also juiced the fantasy numbers with six touchdowns through the air. He was the focal point of first-year head Liam Coen’s ground game and a crucial piece of the passing attack. Etienne is an unrestricted free agent, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Jags make it a point to keep him in town. The 2025 season was Jacksonville’s best by regular season wins since 1999. GM James Gladstone will likely do his best to keep the core players on offense around for years to come. Etienne will slot in as a low-end RB1 for fantasy purposes if he sticks with the Jags.

He added two catches for 16 yards on three targets. All that volume sure looks better when you score, but Etienne played 48-of-69 Jaguars snaps, rarely giving LeQuint Allen (13 snaps) any room to operate as a backup. He wasn’t especially close to scoring, and took just two carries for three yards in the red zone. Etienne will remain on the RB1 line against the Titans in Week 18, a game the Jaguars will definitely want to win to secure the AFC South title.