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Dynasty Buy, Sell, Stash After Travis Etienne Signs With The Saints
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| By Dustin Ludke | 3/15/26 | Follow @theDunit13 |
| The Saints have a new running back. Travis Etienne comes home and signs a 4-year, $52 million deal to be the new feature back in New Orleans. It will be the first time Etienne has played without Trevor Lawrence since high school, and he now becomes a focal point of the Saints' new-look offense. New Orleans is quietly assembling an intriguing group of young skill players. Etienne was one of the top running back free agents available, so seeing him land with the Saints was surprising given their constant cap constraints. Somehow, they made it work. Now the question becomes whether that cap magic will translate to dynasty success. Let's take a look at who rises and who falls after this key free agent signing. Buy: QB Tyler Shough, NOI've been one of the more vocal supporters of Tyler Shough, and the crowd sentiment is finally starting to move in his direction. The Saints appear committed to him as their starter and are actively surrounding him with weapons to help him develop into a reliable NFL passer. Adding Travis Etienne is a big step in that process. Etienne is a strong pass-catching running back. He has seen over 50 targets in each of the past three seasons and showed his receiving ability again last year with six receiving touchdowns. The Saints have been spoiled by elite pass-catching production from Alvin Kamara for years. As of this writing, Kamara is still on the roster, but that could change soon as etienne is the natural replacement for that role. Last season, Kamara saw 39 targets in just 11 games -- a 60-target pace. Only four of those games came with Shough at quarterback, suggesting there is room for that number to grow as the offense develops. The Saints likely aren't done adding weapons. They still need another receiver opposite Chris Olave after trading Rashid Shaheed last season. They also added Noah Fant to complement Juwan Johnson at tight end. Cap issues may always linger in New Orleans, but the team is clearly giving Shough the opportunity to succeed. The cost to acquire Shough will vary by league format, but in
Superflex or 2-QB leagues he shouldn't cost more than a second-round
rookie pick. It's difficult to find a rookie at that draft slot
with Shough's potential opportunity and upside. Sell: RB Bhayshul Tuten, JAXYes, Travis Etienne leaving Jacksonville opens up a lot of carries for Bhayshul Tuten. However, the hype surrounding him has started to get out of control, and I believe the Jaguars will add more competition to the backfield. Let's start with the market. Tuten is currently valued around a late first-round rookie pick in many dynasty leagues. While you might not find a rookie back at that spot with immediate opportunity, you can still find better overall assets. Even if Tuten somehow absorbed all of Etienne's workload from last season in addition to his own touches, the total would have equaled roughly RB5 on the year. There is almost no scenario where he actually receives that much volume. At that price, I'd rather roster players like Javonte Williams, Cam Skattebo, or even Travis Etienne himself. If managers in your league are buying the hype, it's the perfect time to sell high. Tuten also averaged just 3.7 yards per carry last season, which is below average given his relatively limited workload. His role in the offense is also far from secure. The Jaguars signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. this offseason, and he profiles similarly to Tuten as a physical runner. Rodriguez arguably showed more in his limited opportunities. Despite running a 4.32 forty-yard dash, Tuten doesn't consistently play with that type of speed. At 5'9”, 209 pounds, he tends to run more like a power back than an outside speed threat. All five of his touchdowns last season came from within five yards of the goal line, and he had just one breakaway run all year. Neither Tuten nor Rodriguez profiles as a strong pass catcher, which likely forces Jacksonville to bring in another running back for third-down work. That would further limit Tuten's workload. Managers are still excited about the opportunity in Jacksonville, but that enthusiasm could disappear quickly once the depth chart fills out. Deep Stash: RB Devin Neal, NOWhen talking about deep stashes at running back, you're usually looking for high-upside handcuffs. In this case, Devin Neal is the player to watch behind Travis Etienne. Neal has a similar build to Etienne and brings comparable traits as a runner and receiver. His skill set allows him to step into the same role in the offense if needed. He also has an edge over Kendre Miller because he is younger and was drafted by this coaching staff. Neal didn't see much action as a rookie, but he produced consistently throughout his four-year college career. In his final two seasons, he recorded back-to-back 16-touchdown rushing campaigns. He even saw some starting work late in the season and scored twice. Etienne doesn't have significant wear and tear and has largely stayed healthy outside of his rookie season, but running backs take hits. The Saints would be wise to rotate Neal occasionally to keep Etienne fresh over the long term. Right now, Neal is extremely cheap. He should only cost a fourth- or fifth-round rookie pick and can easily be added as a throw-in during larger trades. Stashing him now -- especially if you roster Etienne -- could provide valuable insurance and potential upside down the road. |
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