NFL Free Agency is in full swing as top fantasy players are allowed to be contacted by their potential future teams. One of the key dominoes to fall in all of fantasy football was 2025 RB12, Travis Etienne Jr., who signed with the New Orleans Saints. After a rebound season, the new Saints RB will look to keep it going in New Orleans. How high will he be taken when it comes to August drafts?
The Talent
Just a year after being the biggest fantasy bust of the season, Etienne was one yard short of 1,400 scrimmage yards while scoring 13 touchdowns in 2025. His elite receiving efficiency was one-of-one last year in Liam Coen’s Jaguars offense. His rushing effectiveness has been more middle-of-the-road, ranking 28th in yards per attempt, behind a much-improved offensive line.
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The Team
Saying the Saints are a boom-bust landing spot is an understatement. Kellen Moore’s fast-paced, productive offense brings out the best in its star players. However, in years where the RB has not been living up to expectations, no team has been worse in fantasy RB production (twice).
With Tyler Shough under center, the Saints offense slowly gained traction, ranking 17th in total offense, although with limited scoring. New Orleans will need to improve its offensive line this offseason after an injury-riddled 2025 season. It’s started off strong by signing former Buffalo OL David Edwards.
The Volume
If Alvin Kamara does not return in 2026, the potential volume for Etienne sets up much better than it would in Jacksonville. His bellcow workload was the main reason for his production in Jacksonville, yet in games with Bhayshul Tuten healthy and playing 25%+ of the snaps, Etienne’s workload took a major hit, from 75% of the RB touches to 61%. That would be a top-five rate to just another average NFL back.
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The Saints provide loads of volume to be had, but in the past, Moore has not utilized his RB in the passing game to a great extent. Even in seasons with Alvin Kamara and Austin Ekeler, Moore’s offenses have ranked below average in RB targets. That’s a key hit to Etienne’s upside after a season with six receiving touchdowns, the second-most to Christian McCaffrey.
Mock Draft Stock
I don’t believe Etienne is in a good enough spot to return to his peak as a mid-level fantasy RB1. With a limited receiving ceiling and touchdown regression, Etienne is more likely to fall into the fantasy RB15-RB18 range. If Moore can work his magic and the New Orleans offense improves alongside its offensive line, then Etienne will pay off for managers drafting him for his upside.
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