Luther Burden vs Travis Etienne

“Dealing with a groin injury but expected to be ready for week one, Burden profiles as one of the quickest players in the league and a real matchup nightmare, especially from the slot, where he takes most of his snaps.”

“With Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III apparently looking like prime Tony Gonzalez and Randy Moss, Swift has gone under the radar.”

“Luther Burden exemplified this in 2025; he finished the season strong, and now we love him. Only one problem: Burden was a horrible guillotine draft choice. It wasn’t until Week 13 that he saw more than five targets in a game.”

“The hype around Burden has gotten out of control. He averaged fewer PPR fantasy points per game than Theo Wease Jr. last season (8.6 vs. 8.5).”

“He was also 5th in target share (28%), 11th in air yards share (35%), and 4th in yards per route run behind Puka Nacua , Jaxon Smith-Njigba , and Luther Burden III .”

“Ever since DJ Moore was traded to Buffalo, Burden’s ADP shot up like a cannon. He’s still ranked above proven veterans like Moore, Christian Watson , and Mike Evans . From Week 13 on last season, among receivers with at least 100 routes run, Burden ranked third in yards per route run, fifth in targets per route run, and fourth in first downs per route run, according to the Fantasy Points Data Suite.”

“This is a reference to a song by The Rolling Stones. It also highlights how Luther Burden III is going to be an absolute beast this season. Don’t be afraid, buy into the hype. He’s a stud in a great situation.”

“08) – Luther Burden (WR, CHI) For the first and only time in this mock draft, Round 5 saw all three Ballers take a player at the same position.”

“Luther Burden III (WR – CHI) | ECR: WR24/ADP: 49 Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of optimism surrounding Luther Burden III and this entire Bears offense.”

“Like most fantasy football enthusiasts, count me among the stans. I am a fan of Burden’s game. I think he is great, but the LTV absolutely loves Burden.”

“Burden averaged 13.9 YPC, which is high when considering his low aDOT. That's attributable to the fact that Burden was a YAC machine in 2025, averaging 7.1 YAC per reception, which ranked 3rd in the NFL among WRs.”

“Burden finished 2025 with a paltry 12.8% target share on the season. This number obviously grew throughout the season, as his snap share increased, but that's still an uninspiring number. Better, though, were his Team Reception % (16%), Team Receiving Yards % (19%), and team WR Points % (26.9%), which shows how efficient Burden was when targeted.”

“I was excited about Travis Etienne when he signed with the Saints this offseason, but over time, I’ve become less enthused. First, New Orleans worked out a deal to keep beloved franchise star Alvin Kamara, which makes Etienne less attractive this coming season.”

“9 | Diff: +2 With Travis Etienne gone, Bhayshul Tuten will compete with Chris Rodriguez to be the lead back for the Jaguars in 2026.”

“In the end, Andy chose Travis Etienne , adding his second RB of the draft.”

“Biggest Differences in ADP vs Fantasy Finish RB 2025 ADP 2025 Finish Differential Javonte Williams 41 11 30 Travis Etienne Jr .”

“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?”

“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.”