Who Should I Start? Trevor Etienne or Riley Nowakowski


Week 5 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Trevor Etienne News

Trevor Etienne to Open Season on Injured Reserve

Sunday, August 30, 7:38 PM

The Carolina Panthers placed running back Trevor Etienne (ankle) on injured reserve ahead of Sunday's 53-man roster deadline. Etienne will occupy one of the two IR spots for players who are designated to return later in the season. The team can activate him in Week 5 or later, and when they do so, he'll count toward the 53-man roster. Etienne was originally slated to operate as the Panthers' No. 3 running back behind Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks, but those responsibilities will belong to AJ Dillon for now. Etienne had just 107 scrimmage yards, zero touchdowns, and one fumble lost through 17 games as a rookie last year. He can be left on fantasy waivers in most leagues as long as Hubbard and Brooks are both healthy.


Week 5 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.4 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 0.0 points this week while Riley Nowakowski is projected to score 0.1 points.