Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Jaleel McLaughlin
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
Thursday, July 23, 11:20 AM
New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. is built for a contender, even if his first season back in Louisiana comes with a messy workload. Etienne played all 17 games in 2025 and rushed 260 times for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 36 passes for 292 yards and six more scores, giving him 1,399 scrimmage yards and a career-high 13 total touchdowns. New Orleans paid him four years, $52 million, so he was not signed to wait. The Saints also reworked Alvin Kamara's contract in July, ensuring the veteran remains for 2026, and Kellen Moore has said both backs can contribute in all three phases. That makes a clean lead role unlikely. It does not erase Etienne's immediate value. At 27, he has three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in four healthy campaigns, and RotoBaller ranks him 57th overall in dynasty. Rebuilders should be willing to turn last year's rebound into younger value. Contenders can live with some frustrating weeks because Etienne's rushing volume, receiving skill, and scoring upside still give him a path to regular fantasy starts.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 0.0 |
Jaleel McLaughlin News
Tuesday, July 14, 7:54 AM
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin is set to battle for the RB4 spot in the Broncos' backfield this summer with Tyler Badie, according to The Denver Post's Luca Evans. The Broncos are expected to keep only four RBs on their active 53-man roster, so the loser of the battle will be the odd-man out. McLaughlin was a healthy scratch early on in 2025 but eventually became Denver's most effective per-touch skill player down the stretch after J.K. Dobbins' season-ending foot injury boosted him to RB2 duties behind rookie RJ Harvey. But with rookie Jonah Coleman now in the mix in 2026, McLaughlin's path to a fourth straight season opening the year on the active roster "looks dicey." Badie, meanwhile, is trusted by the coaching staff and quarterback Bo Nix for his pass-protection skills and veteran instincts. The 25-year-old McLaughlin has an impressive 4.8 yards per carry in his career, but Badie's work in passing situations may eventually win out. Even if McLaughlin wins a 53-man roster spot out of training camp and the preseason, it's clear that both his redraft and dynasty fantasy stock has taken a big hit with the addition of Coleman.
Travis Etienne Jr. vs. Jaleel McLaughlin
Still trying to decide between Etienne Jr. and McLaughlin? 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 Jaleel McLaughlin is projected to score 0.8 points.
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