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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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Alvin Kamara Restructure Confirms He'll Stay in New Orleans
Alvin Kamara Restructure Confirms He'll Stay in New Orleans
The Saints are finalizing a contract restructure with RB Alvin Kamara, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football. The contract adjustment likely confirms that Kamara will stick with the team this season. He had been set to cost the team nearly $10.5 million in cap space for 2026, the final year on his deal.
Alvin Kamara Sounds Like He's Staying In New Orleans
Alvin Kamara Sounds Like He's Staying In New Orleans
Saints RB Alvin Kamara has been bandied as a trade or cut candidate all offseason, especially since the arrival of RB Travis Etienne. But, appearing on Terron Armstead's The Set on Monday, Kamara sounded set on returning for another season in New Orleans.
Kellen Moore Has Bad News for Your Travis Etienne Aspirations
Kellen Moore Has Bad News for Your Travis Etienne Aspirations
Saints HC Kellen Moore says "he plans on having Alvin Kamara in the running back room and thinks he and [Travis] Etienne can fit together well," according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The Saints, of course, signed Etienne to a four-year, $48 million deal -- including $28 million in guarantees -- this offseason. Kamara's heading into the final year of his contract, with a $10.5 million cap hit. He'll turn 31 in late July.
Saints Replacing Alvin Kamara with Travis Etienne?
Saints Replacing Alvin Kamara with Travis Etienne?
The Saints are expected to sign RB Travis Etienne Jr., according to multiple reports. He spent his first five years with the Jaguars after arriving as a first-round pick, outlasting head coaches Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson before playing 2025 under Liam Coen. Etienne turned 27 in January. He's getting a four-year, $52 million pact with New Orleans, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Bhayshul Tuten Back For Week 18
Bhayshul Tuten Back For Week 18
Jaguars RB Bhayshul Tuten (finger) put in a full week of practice and is off the final injury report for Sunday’s game vs. the Titans. The rookie should be back in his No. 2 role after missing the previous two games. Tuten’s return is a slight ding to RB Travis Etienne’s fantasy value.
See whether Travis Etienne is available in your leagues.
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