Who Should I Start? Dare Ogunbowale or Trevor Etienne

Tuesday, December 16, 1:31 PM

Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale has largely been a special-teamer during his nine-year career, but he has seen more work as a runner in the past two weeks. With Nick Chubb (ribs) and Woody Marks (knee) dealing with injuries, Ogunbowale scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 14. He handled a season-high eight touches in Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals, with five carries for two yards and three receptions (four targets) for 32 yards as a receiver. The 31-year-old was in just a complementary role after Marks exited against the Cardinals, though, with second-year running back Jawhar Jordan seeing the bulk of the carries. Jordan handled 15 carries for 101 yards, becoming the first Texans running back to go over the century mark in rushing yards this season. Ogunbowale profiles as the receiving back if Chubb and Marks remain unavailable in Week 16 against the Raiders, limiting his fantasy appeal to just deeper PPR leagues.

Saturday, February 21, 10:22 AM

A fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Carolina Panthers running back Trevor Etienne played a minimal role on offense in his rookie year. Across 17 games, the 21-year-old recorded 107 yards from scrimmage on just 23 touches. Etienne spent the entire year buried on the depth chart behind veteran Panthers backs Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. Dowdle is a free agent heading into 2026 and may not return to Carolina. However, the Panthers may be getting back 2024 second-round running back Jonathon Brooks (knee), who missed the entirety of 2025 while rehabbing from a torn ACL. Even if Dowdle signs elsewhere and Brooks' injury issues continue, Etienne did little as a rookie to prove he should be part of Carolina's long-term plans. Depending on league size and format, Etienne may not be worth stashing on dynasty rosters after his underwhelming 2025 campaign.