Who Should I Start? Diontae Johnson or Travis Etienne

Tuesday, January 14, 2:07 PM

The Houston Texans are releasing veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Tuesday, according to the team's X account. Johnson has been traded twice and released twice in the last calendar year, so this is clearly not a good sign for his future fantasy football outlook. After logging 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games with Carolina this season, he accumulated just three receptions on nine targets for 18 yards in five games combined with the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. Johnson posted three seasons of at least 882 receiving yards earlier in his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but those days seem long gone after four WR-needy franchises have let him go. All that said, he could join one of the remaining playoff contenders ahead of Super Bowl 59.

Monday, January 6, 11:55 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. struggled to find much space in a 26-23 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He finished with 13 carries for 31 yards as well as three catches for 29 yards. The 25-year-old back out of Clemson had the worst season of his young career, struggling to find efficient yardage in a lackluster offense. While it still seems Etienne Jr. is much better in the passing game than backup Tank Bigsby, Bigsby seemed to take over as the lead rusher and goal-line back. Maybe with a healthy offense and improved roster next season, Etienne Jr. can get back on track, but he will likely still have Bigsby nipping at his heels. Expect Etienne Jr. to remain involved, but not as a workhorse back in the 2025 NFL season.