Travis Etienne joined the Saints on a four-year, $47.4 million deal this offseason, and the back is expected to see a large workload right out of the gate with Kamara on the shelf.
The veteran suffered a sprained MCL on August 18th, and it was reported the next day that Kamara would miss at least a month, meaning the back will likely be out for the first two games of the season at a minimum.
With Kamara sidelined, should Etienne be considered a top-12 running back for fantasy?
Travis Etienne Fantasy Outlook
After a subpar campaign in 2024, Etienne bounced back in a big way in 2025. The 27-year-old rushed for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns on 260 carries, and he caught 36-of-52 targets for 292 yards and six touchdowns for the Jaguars.
Etienne played in all 17 games – notably for the third time in four seasons –– and he finished as the No. 10 scoring back for fantasy football. Etienne averaged 15.4 FPTS per game while handling 69% of the running back carries and logging 60% of the snaps.
The veteran averaged 17.4 touches per game, and he should see even more action for the Saints until Kamara returns. While the 31-year-old has plenty of mileage on his resume entering his 10th season, Kamara is trusted by the Saints’ coaching staff, and he was in line to see close to double-digit touches every week before the injury.
With Kamara sidelined, New Orleans only has two underachieving veterans in Kendre Miller and Audric Estime behind Etienne, and as a result, the team should heavily rely on Etienne with around 20 touches per game. Etienne generated 0.38 FPTS per touch last season –– which ranked 19th among backs –– and in the nine games he saw 18 plus touches, he amassed 18.4 FPTS per game.
The Saints open the season in two potential shootouts, facing the Lions and Ravens, and if Kamara misses these games as expected, Etienne must be viewed as a top-12 running back option for both matchups, which will bring a ceiling well over 20 FPTS.
