Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Isiah Pacheco
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.6 | 66.4 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 24.8 | 0.1 |
Travis Etienne Jr. News
Thursday, August 27, 12:09 PM
New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. is entering his first season with the team after signing a four-year, $48 million contract in free agency. The 27-year-old is coming off a stellar season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025, as he recorded 1,399 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns on 296 touches across 17 games. While Etienne Jr.'s contract status suggests he will be the lead back in New Orleans, it appeared heading into training camp as though he might be splitting work with long-time Saints back Alvin Kamara (knee). However, Kamara suffered a sprained MCL during a joint practice session with the Los Angeles Rams and may now miss the beginning of the regular season. With Kamara sidelined, Etienne Jr. has a chance to establish a true three-down role early in the year. Entering 2026, Etienne Jr. profiles as a high-end RB2 option for fantasy managers.
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
Thursday, August 27, 8:37 AM
When asked about Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco's (back, knee) status for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Dan Campbell said, "I can't give you anything definitive." Campbell said that Pacheco picked up a back injury in training camp, in addition to his MCL sprain, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. Right now, Pacheco's knee is not the concern. If the 27-year-old Pacheco is unavailable to play in the season opener in early September, Sione Vaki is likely to step up into the RB2 role in Detroit behind starter Jahmyr Gibbs. Pacheco ran for 1,765 yards and 12 touchdowns on 375 carries while adding 57 catches for 374 yards and two more TDs as a receiver in his first two years with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and 2023, but he combined for just 201 carries, 772 rushing yards, and two touchdowns in 20 games in the last two years while dealing with various injuries. When healthy, he's expected to be the backup in a change-of-pace role for Gibbs, but he is not selling himself as a handcuff target for fantasy managers with more injury issues before the start of the 2026 season. Right now, Pacheco is ranked as the RB54 at RotoBaller.
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 15.6 points this week while Isiah Pacheco is projected to score 6.3 points.
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