TravisEtienne Jr.

News: 5 days agoThe Saints are placing Etienne (hamstring) on injured reserve, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Spin: Etienne dealt with a hamstring injury during Week 3 prep and then aggravated the issue this past Sunday against the Raiders, leading to head coach Kellen Moore telling Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football on Monday that the running back was expected to miss some time. With his placement on IR, Etienne will sit out at least the next four games, meaning his next chance for game action is Sunday, Nov. 8 versus the Browns. In the meantime, Alvin Kamara figures to take on the lead role in the Saints backfield, but Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson also are on hand for RB reps.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Etienne signed with the Saints after spending the first five seasons of his pro career with the Jaguars. The 2021 first-round pick has produced at least 1,399 scrimmage yards in three of the past four seasons and scored a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2025. A capable rusher and receiver, Etienne has already reached 1,000-plus rushing yards three times and has 35-plus catches in each of the past four seasons. Even if the Saints retain Alvin Kamara as a situational player, Etienne will have a clear path to feature-back duties in an ascending offense led by second-year QB Tyler Shough. That will be enough to position the 27-year-old for his third top-15 fantasy campaign in four years. Consider Etienne a solid RB2 target with backend RB1 upside.