Who Should I Start? Trevor Etienne or Kyle Monangai

Wednesday, December 31, 1:09 AM

Carolina Panthers rookie running back Trevor Etienne has had few opportunities to contribute as the team's RB3 behind Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. Etienne has recorded 20 carries for 94 yards to go along with three catches (three targets) for 13 yards as a receiver in 16 games. The rookie fourth-rounder has played mostly on special teams, returning 31 kicks for an average of 23.6 yards per return, roughly two yards below the league average of 25.9. Etienne saw a brief uptick in touches in Weeks 4-6 with Hubbard banged up. He was efficient in his limited opportunity, handling 14 carries for 72 yards while adding one catch (one target) for seven yards. The 21-year-old remains a worthwhile stash in dynasty leagues, but he likely won't be a big part of the Panthers' offense in Saturday's divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to decide the NFC South.

Friday, January 16, 10:15 PM

Chicago Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai had a strong first year in the NFL despite being a seventh-round selection out of Rutgers. Monangai had 169 rushing attempts for 783 yards and five touchdowns in 17 regular-season games, adding 18 catches for 164 yards on 30 targets through the air. The 23-year-old was at his peak in 2025 from Weeks 9-13, going for 405 rushing yards and four TDs on 79 carries. Since then, though, Monangai has double-digit carries in just two of six contests, and he has had single-digit carries over the last four games. He had eight carries for only 27 yards in the Wild-Card win over the Green Bay Packers, and he had only six carries for 14 yards in Week 18 against Detroit. Monangai has been on the field for 40-45% of the offensive snaps the last six games, but he'll be a low-end RB option in fantasy playoff lineups this weekend against a Los Angeles Rams' defense that allowed the third-fewest rushing TDs (six) to RBs all year.