Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Luther Burden 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.9 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 55.5 | 0.3 |
Luther Burden III News
Tuesday, July 14, 10:17 AM
Chicago Bears second-year wide receiver Luther Burden III is one of the most clear breakout candidates at his position in 2026, according to Dan Wiederer of The Athletic. "I'm buying Luther Burden stock right now," head coach Ben Johnson said back in May. Johnson called Burden's growth this offseason "electric." The 22-year-old former second-rounder (39th overall) out of the University of Missouri took off in the second half as a rookie, posting 40 catches, 547 yards and a touchdown in his final 10 games, including the postseason. Burden is carrying increased confidence, heightened trust from Johnson, and improved chemistry with quarterback Caleb Williams. "He's the truth, man. And nothing but the truth," tight end Colston Loveland said. Burden had a total line of 47 catches, 652 yards and two touchdowns in 15 regular-season games (five starts) as a rookie, but with DJ Moore now in Buffalo, Burden could easily become Chicago's WR1 over Rome Odunze in 2026. Fantasy managers should be looking to draft Burden as a strong WR2 this year with upside for more in a Bears offense that's looking to take the next step in Johnson's second season running the show.
Travis Etienne Jr. vs. Luther Burden III
Still trying to decide between Etienne Jr. and Burden 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 Luther Burden III is projected to score 11.9 points.
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