Travis Etienne enters the 2026 season as a member of the New Orleans Saints and the unquestioned top option in their backfield. Though he changed or clarified the pronunciation of his last name, his production has remained stable across his four NFL seasons. His 2024 campaign appears to be an outlier rather than a trend, and that should have you happy about getting him at cost this summer.
Should You Draft Travis Etienne Jr. in Fantasy Football?
Yes, I said Etienne. That’s how the dude wants his last name pronounced these days. This isn’t De’Von Achane from Miami. This is Etienne now with the New Orleans Saints. He still spells it the same way. That’s going to be goofy for everybody walking into fantasy, but that is what it is.
He could change how he says his last name. I don’t think the production on the field is realistically going to change in a big way. He’s rushed for 1,000 yards in 3 of 4 seasons, and I think he makes it 4 of 5.
He joins a Saints team led by Kellen Moore that led the league in pace a season ago. Tyler Shough is on the come up here. Chris Olave is demanding targets on the perimeter and all over the place for this offense. But Jordyn Tyson’s banged up. He’s going to miss at least a month, probably more. We don’t know if he’s ever going to be right, for a guy who has dealt with these soft-tissue issues throughout college and is now dealing with them in the pros.
We know Etienne can do it all and that he’s a versatile threat. Personally, I think he could carry the ball 200 times and catch 60 balls. You know who did that a season ago? The first-round running backs in this year’s fantasy football ADP.
If he’s going to return that kind of value and he’s going outside the first 3 rounds, I think rostering him opens up a lot of roster construction possibilities. If you want to go wide receiver heavy and pick on a guy like Justin Jefferson who’s falling down boards a little bit, then he could be your RB1. If he gives you that kind of volume in this sort of environment, I think he could produce RB1 numbers.
I like Walker. But if you want to take a Kenneth Walker, somebody like that in a new situation with some uncertainty at the beginning, I have no problem with Etienne going in round 3 or 4 to your team, being your RB2 and giving you a great foundation for this season.
I’m all in. Give me Etienne, however you want to pronounce his name. Just don’t call him late for dinner. Just don’t call him on somebody else’s roster. Give me him around pick 40 in drafts.
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Travis Etienne Jr.’s Week 1 Fantasy Outlook
As someone who has a name that gets mispronounced all the time, I’m qualified to advise on this situation.
Respect how he wants his name to be said, no matter how inconvenient it may seem.
This is the advantage he has that I never did in my athletic days: he can produce at such a level that we have no choice but to get used to his name. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name doesn’t roll off the tongue, but we have no issues with it. T.J. Houshmandzadeh had a commercial poking fun at his name, but after shining on the field, did any of us have a problem saying it?
Etienne (“Achane”) joins a Kellen Moore offense that ranked first in pace last season and has an upward-pointing arrow. I buy the talent. I don’t think Detroit is a plus-matchup for all backs (they have their issues, but they did allow the second-fewest yards per carry to RBs last season after contact): not this versatile weapon who should fit this scheme like a glove.
Alvin Kamara looms, something that didn’t seem likely two months ago and that had some managers overthinking this situation. The veteran doesn’t worry me in any way, and while I’m not projecting Etienne to repeat his 2025 season (1,399 yards and 13 TDs), I do think he’s locked into RB2 value in all matchups with low-end RB1 potential as he gains comfort in an offense that truly has some interesting upside.
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Where Etienne Ranks Among 2026 Running Backs
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- D'Andre Swift | CHI
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- David Montgomery | HOU
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