Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Fantasy Shakeup: Travis Etienne Agrees to Deal With Saints

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cory Bonini | Last updated Mar 9, 2026 5:05 PM ET

The No. 25 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Travis Etienne leaves the Jacksonville Jaguars for the New Orleans Saints on a four-year, $52 million agreement. The sixth-year veteran will presumably partner with Alvin Kamara after the latter agreed to a restructured deal.

The pair will be used creatively under head coach Kellen Moore, and both bring similar traits to the field with their trademark versatility. Etienne, 27, is more explosive than the soon-to-be 31-year-old Kamara, who is coming off the worst year of his NFL career following a 2024 rebound.

Etienne bounced back in 2025 after his play slipped the prior year, and these two will complement each other nicely. The payday means we should expect the younger back will get far more opportunities, especially on early downs, and AK41 will likely be deployed disproportionately in passing situations to maximize his offerings. It won't always be that clear cut, of course, which will present some maddening situations for fantasy owners.

The Saints have a promising young quarterback in Tyler Shough and a capable WR-TE combo in Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson, respectively. Otherwise, there's a tertiary role to be seized in the aerial game, which is probably where the combination of Etienne and Kamara fit into the pecking order for targets.

New Orleans agreed to bring in left guard David Edwards from Buffalo as well, and the team invested consecutive first-round picks in offensive tackles the last two drafts.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

What Is Travis Etienne's 2026 Fantasy Football Value?

Still in the prime of his career and sporting script-proof utility, the Clemson alum is an elite RB2 or a passable No. 1 option in deeper point-per-reception formats. Look for more weekly variance than Etienne delivered during most of his time in Jacksonville, though. There's potential for a workhorse situation, should Kamara miss considerable time -- as has been the trend.

What Is Alvin Kamara's 2026 Fantasy Football Value?

While the goal is for less to become more for Kamara, he's no stranger to injury, missing time in all but his rookie season of 2017. The hope here is the former Tennessee Volunteer will get a second wind in a sidekick role, and that could lead to more fantasy points per game than his paltry 9.5 PPR figure from 2025. In the best-case scenario, Kamara positions himself as a weekly flex play with a handful of bonus performances. He's arguably most valuable as a true handcuff to Etienne.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: