Who Should I Start? MarShawn Lloyd or Trevor Etienne

Tuesday, August 26, 5:11 PM

Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) was placed on Injured Reserve on Tuesday and has been designated to return, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. It means that Lloyd can return after missing the first four games of the 2025 campaign. Head coach Matt LaFleur had already said that the oft-injured second-year RB would miss time to start the year due to a hamstring injury that he suffered in the preseason finale last weekend. The 24-year-old cannot seem to shake his hamstring injuries, as he also dealt with the same issue in his rookie season, among other things, and ended up suiting up in just one game. Green Bay has a bye in Week 5, so the earliest Lloyd can return will be in Week 6 on Oct. 12 versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Fantasy managers can avoid him for now in 12-team leagues, while Emanuel Wilson becomes the primary handcuff option for those that draft Josh Jacobs.

Sunday, August 31, 9:28 AM

Carolina Panthers running back Trevor Etienne did a nice job during the preseason. He showed he has breakaway speed to make a big play at any moment. Despite that, Etienne is unlikely to have a significant role to begin the season. Chuba Hubbard is going to be the lead back to begin the season. The Panthers brought in Rico Dowdle as a viable second option, so he'll likely be the second string. That means, Etienne probably isn't going to see much action right away. According to the team's official website, Etienne is penciled in as the third string back. However, the 21-year-old could wrestle away the second string job from Dowdle with more consistent play. For now, Etienne is a dynasty stash and someone that is unlikely to make an impact right away.