Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Rico Dowdle
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.7 | 48.6 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 14.5 | 0.1 |
Rico Dowdle News
Thursday, July 30, 10:07 AM
DK Pittsburgh Sports reports that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle got reps ahead of Jaylen Warren in training camp practice on Thursday, which was the opposite of Wednesday. However, both RBs took reps with the first-team offense. Warren lost considerable pass-catching work to Kenny Gainwell in 2025, but he still managed a career-high 958 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 211 carries while adding 40 receptions for 333 yards and another two TDs as a receiver in 16 regular-season games in his fourth year in the NFL. Gainwell is gone, with Dowdle taking his place in Pittsburgh's backfield alongside Warren. With Dowdle now in the picture, Warren's rushing workload will likely take a hit, but he could replace that volume with more work as a pass-catcher, and we all know how veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers loves to dump off the football late in his career. This could be a true even split between Warren and Dowdle in 2026, with RotoBaller ranking Dowdle as the No. 30 overall fantasy RB, and Warren at No. 31. Warren should have slightly more upside as an RB3/flex option in PPR formats.
Travis Etienne Jr. vs. Rico Dowdle
Still trying to decide between Etienne Jr. and Dowdle? 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 Rico Dowdle is projected to score 10.7 points.
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