Who Should I Start? Trevor Etienne or Riley Nowakowski

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
1.6 6.9 0.0 0.4 2.7 0.0

Trevor Etienne News

Trevor Etienne Flashes Receiving Ability in the Preseason

Saturday, August 15, 4:22 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Trevor Etienne rushed for seven yards on six attempts while catching all four targets for 18 yards in Saturday's 29-14 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. Etienne led the team in receptions and tied Feleipe Franks and Eliah Cooks with four targets. The 22-year-old has natural hands and has shown flashes in the passing game. However, he started in the Hall of Fame game against Arizona and was limited to 11 total yards. With Jonathon Brooks' injury history and Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) being week-to-week with a hamstring injury, Etienne could have an expanded role if either were to miss any time. The former fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is battling AJ Dillon for Carolina's RB3 spot behind Hubbard and Brooks. Etienne is a dynasty stash for now, but a name to watch in deep-league PPR formats if Hubbard continues to be sidelined with his hamstring issue into the regular season.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
1.2 0.0 0.0 0.6 5.3 0.0

Riley Nowakowski News

Steelers Select Riley Nowakowski at No. 169 Overall

Saturday, April 25, 11:23 AM

The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Indiana tight end prospect Riley Nowakowski with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Nowakowski caught 32 passes for 387 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Hoosiers' national championship-winning offense last year. He also got involved as a fullback, scoring two rushing touchdowns. We could see him take on a similar hybrid fullback/tight end role in Pittsburgh, serving as the team's replacement for Connor Heyward, who signed with the Raiders this offseason. Assuming that's the case, Nowakowski doesn't have a clear path to fantasy relevance. He can be avoided in most fantasy football drafts.

Trevor Etienne vs. Riley Nowakowski

Still trying to decide between Etienne and Nowakowski? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Trevor Etienne is projected to score 1.6 points this week while Riley Nowakowski is projected to score 1.2 points.