Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Isiah Pacheco


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
13.2 60.3 0.4 2.4 18.7 0.1

Travis Etienne Jr. News

Travis Etienne Jr. Remains a Strong Fourth-Round Redraft Target

Saturday, August 8, 10:28 AM

New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. doesn't need a workhorse role to pay off at his current 41.9 ADP. He is coming off a strong final season in Jacksonville, rushing for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 36 catches for 292 yards and six more scores. The Saints clearly wanted him, giving the 27-year-old a four-year, $52 million deal in March, and his early camp usage has been encouraging. Etienne has seen most of the first-team work on early downs, with Alvin Kamara getting more of the passing-down reps. Kamara staying in New Orleans takes some shine off Etienne's ceiling, particularly as a receiver, but it does not mean this has to become an even backfield split. Etienne has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three of his four NFL seasons on the field and should have plenty of opportunities to do damage again. RotoBaller has him 33rd overall, nearly nine spots ahead of his current ADP. That fourth-round price still looks pretty good.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
6.3 31.2 0.2 0.9 6.4 0.0

Isiah Pacheco News

Isiah Pacheco Has MCL Sprain, Should Be Ready for Week 1

Monday, August 10, 6:28 AM

Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) is dealing with a sprained MCL, but head coach Dan Campbell told the media that the team still feels good about his Week 1 availability, according to beat writer Nolan Bianchi. Pacheco signed a one-year deal in the offseason but having now missed a string of training camp practices, the Lions have leaned on third-year back Sione Vaki to handle an expanded workload as three-time Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs ramps back up from an early training camp hold-in that resulted in him becoming the league's highest paid running back. After splitting the backfield with David Montgomery for his first three seasons, Gibbs is expected to handle close to a bell cow role in 2026, limiting Pacheco's standalone value but making him one of fantasy's most important handcuff backs and a player who can generally be found in the closing rounds of drafts as RotoBaller's RB44.


Travis Etienne Jr. vs. Isiah Pacheco

Still trying to decide between Etienne Jr. and Pacheco? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Travis Etienne Jr. is projected to score 13.2 points this week while Isiah Pacheco is projected to score 6.3 points.