Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Kenneth Walker III


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. Better as a Win-Now Piece Than Rebuild Hold

Wednesday, July 8, 11:39 AM

New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. still has plenty of short-term dynasty value, but he fits contenders better than rebuilding teams. Etienne is entering his age-27 season after giving Jacksonville 1,107 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 36 catches, 292 receiving yards, and six receiving scores in 17 games last year. New Orleans then brought him home on a four-year deal, so this is not a throwaway veteran signing. The tricky part is figuring out how clean the workload will be. Alvin Kamara is still in the building, and Kellen Moore has talked about finding roles for multiple backs rather than simply handing everything to one player. That does not kill Etienne's value, but it does make him easier to like for 2026 production than as a long-range dynasty anchor. RotoBaller has him ranked as the RB15 across formats, which is already starter pricing. Contenders can still buy if they need points now, but rebuilders should be willing to cash out if someone is paying near low-end RB1 value.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
15.0 65.0 0.5 2.7 20.9 0.1

Kenneth Walker III News

Kenneth Walker III has Been a Culture Fit With Chiefs

Tuesday, July 7, 7:34 AM

The Athletic's Jesse Newell writes that new running back Kenneth Walker III's "work ethic and no-nonsense style have already been an early culture fit" this offseason alongside Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. The Chiefs paid up for Walker in free agency on a three-year deal, hoping that he'll add an explosive element to their running game that was sorely lacking in 2025 with the combination of Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. The infusion of Walker's work ethic and no-nonsense style has been welcomed after they believed "their work standard and attention to detail slipped" during last year's 6-11 campaign. The 25-year-old had his second 1,000-yard rushing season in four years in the NFL in his final season in Seattle, and he capped it off by being named Super Bowl MVP in the Seahawks' win over the New England Patriots back in early February. If Walker is used more as a pass-catcher in Bieniemy's offense, he'll have an even higher floor as an RB1 in fantasy, although his lengthy history of lower-body injuries also gives him plenty of bust potential. RotoBaller currently has Walker ranked as the No. 9 fantasy RB for his first year in KC in 2026.


Travis Etienne Jr. vs. Kenneth Walker III

Still trying to decide between Etienne Jr. and Walker III? 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 Kenneth Walker III is projected to score 15.0 points.