Who Should I Start? James Conner or Travis Etienne Jr.

Tuesday, May 26, 8:43 AM

New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. kicks off the next chapter of his career in the coming months. After five years in Jacksonville, Etienne leveraged a terrific 2025 season into a nice payday with the Saints, not to mention the added security of a four-year contract. The Clemson product missed his rookie campaign in 2021, but he followed up that up with 1,000 rushing yards in three of his next four seasons. In 2025, he was the RB10 in PPR leagues with 1,107 rushing yards, 36 catches, 292 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns. While the Saints still have Alvin Kamara on the roster, their $48 million investment in Etienne suggests that the former Jaguar will be their every-down back going forward. His arrival is timed nicely with the trajectory of the Saints' offense. New Orleans' offense is trending upward after Tyler Shough had a terrific rookie season, Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson both had the best years of their career, and Jordyn Tyson was selected in the first round of the draft. Etienne is another piece in that puzzle, and while it's admittedly a crowded offense, the Saints should be competitive enough to offer plenty of volume (and goal-line opportunities) to their primary running back. Etienne remains a top-10 running back in redraft leagues, although he's a bit lower in dynasty formats. He ranks 18th among running backs in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.