Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or Sam LaPorta
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.5 | 64.4 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 15.3 | 0.1 |
Travis Etienne Jr. News
Sunday, March 1, 7:18 AM
There have been "zero indicators" that the Jacksonville Jaguars will use the franchise tag on impending free-agent running back Travis Etienne Jr., sources with knowledge of the situation told John Shipley of Sports Illustrated. It doesn't mean that the Jaguars aren't open to re-signing him, but it's becoming pretty clear that Etienne is going to test the market this offseason. After the Dallas Cowboys signed RB Javonte Williams to a deal that guarantees him $16 million over the next two seasons, Etienne's market will "likely be north of $8 million a year." The 27-year-old had arguably the best year of his career in 2025, and he's one of just four players to have over 3,750 rushing yards and 1,300 receiving yards since debuting in 2022. Last year, Etienne rushed for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns on 260 carries (4.2 yards per tote), and he added 36 catches for 292 yards and six TDs in the regular season. He could have even more fantasy appeal in 2026, depending on where he lands and what his role will be.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.1 | 40.1 | 0.3 |
Sam LaPorta News
Tuesday, March 3, 5:25 AM
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) missed the final eight weeks of the 2025 regular season, and when he returns in 2026, he'll find himself in a new-look offense. The strong supporting cast remains in place (minus David Montgomery), but we expect to see a new offensive scheme and style of play after Detroit made a coaching staff change. The Lions hired former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to the same role, indicating we could see even more emphasis on the tight end position next year. Petzing helped pepper Trey McBride with targets last year; the 26-year-old was the TE2 in PPR leagues in 2024, and the TE1 last season. LaPorta is looking to return to that type of elite form. He was the TE1 himself as a rookie in 2023, but he dropped to TE8 in 2024 and TE27 in his injury-shortened 2025 campaign. When healthy last season, LaPorta averaged 4.4 catches, 54.3 yards, and 0.3 touchdowns per game. If Petzing places an emphasis on getting the tight end even more involved, he'll make a strong push to be a top-five fantasy option at the position in 2026. Because he's coming off an injury, he's an intriguing buy-low option in dynasty leagues, as well as an underpriced draft pick at his ADP in redraft formats.
Travis Etienne Jr. vs. Sam LaPorta
Still trying to decide between Etienne Jr. and LaPorta? 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 14.5 points this week while Sam LaPorta is projected to score 9.7 points.
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