Colston Loveland vs Travis Etienne

“Sleeper lists Trey McBride at $34, Brock Bowers for $27, and Colston Loveland at a shamefully low $18.”

“Round 3: Colston Loveland (TE – CHI) Colston Loveland is currently going closer to the fourth round in ADP, but the case here is that he’ll settle into a firm third-round price by the time draft season peaks, similar to how the market was slow to catch up on Trey McBride ‘s ascension a year ago.”

“Loveland is the type of talent who can win downfield, which is exactly what you want from your fantasy tight end. As Caleb Williams heads into Year 2 of the Ben Johnson era, expect more familiarity with the scheme, which can help Loveland eclipse 1,000 yards.”

“Colston Loveland turned it on down the stretch last year, showcasing impressive production from Week 7 through Chicago's Divisional Round loss with 67% route participation, 6.9 targets per game, 65 receptions, 852 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns across 14 games. If his 72.4% route participation rate from the playoffs sticks or takes a step forward, Loveland can be less efficient while still posting monster numbers, putting the overall TE1 in his range of outcomes.”

“Loveland clearly won the favor of Ben Johnson as he had at least 15% of the team's targets in each of the final nine games, ending with 713 total receiving yards. It was a strong showing for the rookie TE, who could very likely lead the team in targets in 2026.”

“Colston Loveland was also in a rotational role for the first 7 weeks, but got his first chance at a full-time role due to Cole Kmet's injury in Week 8. He had a breakout game one week later vs. the Bengals and gradually increased his playing time over the remainder of the season, finally emerging as a true every-down player at the end of the year.”

“Even in a split season of work as a rookie, Loveland showcased his weekly upside. He logged four weeks as a top-three scorer at the position. The only player to match that was Trey McBride, who led the position with eight of those weeks.”

“It took a bit for Loveland to get going as a rookie as he worked his way into the lineup and recovered from an offseason shoulder injury, but the wait was worth it. Over the final five games of the season, Loveland was on the field for 80.9% of the team's dropbacks, receiving a target on 30.5% of his routes with 2.34 yards per route run.”

“Even though he managed just 53 receptions and 713 yards as a rookie, Loveland was fourth at his position in air yards and third in deep targets. If that kind of usage on the field keeps up, Loveland is going to be looking at a ton of deep catches and touchdowns.”

“Colston Loveland started his rookie year slowly but was TE2 in fantasy scoring from Week 9 through the end of the regular season. Over his last four games, the hyper-athletic Loveland averaged 12.0 targets, 7.0 catches, and 94.5 yards, with two touchdowns.”

“Colston Loveland is the heavy favorite to be the third tight end to finish above 200 fantasy points (half-PPR). With the league shifting towards TE-heavy offensive sets, we could see snaps across the position skyrocket.”

“People talk about him as if he is going in that blob of TE's that make up the second tier. He's not priced that way, so be sure you have another plan at tight end to fall back on if you are expecting Loveland to go for a discount.”

“While the additions of Travis Etienne and rookie Jordyn Tyson are cause to question Olave’s target share, what about his previous injuries? How do five documented concussions shape the future outlook for Olave?”

“He lands with New Orleans after a season where he was 11th in snap share, 13th in opportunity share, tenth in weighted opportunities, and fifth in red zone touches. Etienne soaked up 296 touches, producing 1,399 total yards.”

“Etienne Jr.'s momentum skyrocketed with the rest of the Jaguars team after the Week 8 bye. He averaged 17.5 fantasy points per game and scored more than six receiving touchdowns on fewer than 40 receptions. Etienne Jr. will bring life back to this running game and could be the perfect complement if Shough can continue his hot streak.”

“Travis Etienne Jr. bounced back in a big way last season, amassing 1,100 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns for the Jaguars. He's headed into arguably an even better situation in New Orleans, at least in terms of backfield competition. Etienne posted an RB10 overall finish in 2025 with a 65.1% snap share. If that climbs up closer to the 75% range in New Orleans (which feels realistic given the depth chart), I don't see why he can't hit 1,500 rushing yards.”

“The Saints signed Travis Etienne to headline their backfield, but among 43 running backs with at least 150 touches last season, Etienne was 27th in yards per carry (4.3) and 33rd in percentage of rushes that went for zero or negative yards.”

“Etienne is too good a talent for the Saints to put him in a legitimate time share of any kind. Kellen Moore's offense has been capable of producing big fantasy numbers for running backs as well.”

“The team spent the offseason aggressively adding offensive help around Shough. Travis Etienne, Jordyn Tyson, and Oscar Delp were all brought in to strengthen the supporting cast.”

“The Bucs in Week 15 didn't give up a lot in the way of EPA per rush, but they struggled against pass-catching running backs, and Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara are both good options there.”

“Pairing Tyson with Olave and free agent addition Travis Etienne Jr. would form a legitimately strong skill player group for Shough to work with, along with a quietly strong offensive line.”

“Travis Etienne is a free agent in 2026 (signed with the New Orleans Saints). They did draft two RBs in last year's draft, likely knowing they could lose ETN on the open market.”

“Jacksonville's only free agent addition so far is Chris Rodriguez Jr, who joins a backfield that no longer contains Travis Etienne.”

“Saints signed RB Travis Etienne (4 years, $52 million)”