Travis Etienne (hamstring) resumes practicing

Estime was waived by the Browns on Monday. The Saints claimed him on Tuesday and he was their starting back by Sunday. Life comes at you fast. Kellen Moore made it a point to get Estime going early with three carries for him on their first three plays of the game. He gashed the Browns 32 yards on those three attempts alone. He would later punch in a goal line touchdown to give the Saints the lead in the fourth quarter. Estime will be the Saints’ lead runner until Travis Etienne is activated from injured reserve. That could happen as soon as Week 10, so fantasy managers shouldn’t count on another usable week from Estime anytime soon.

Etienne hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3 against the Raiders. The 27-year-old back will need to have his 21-day return window opened before he can take the practice field, so we’ll see if Moore and the staff elect to designate him for a return ahead of Wednesday’s practice. Until that happens, Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and CJ Donaldson will continue to operate as the Saints’ top options, with Kamara the likely leader in what has been an underwhelming backfield this season.

It wasn’t an overly impressive day for Estime, who was on the Vikings’ practice squad earlier in the week. But in the fourth quarter, with the Browns trailing 10-3, Estime took back-to-back carries for six yards, with his second resulting in a two-yard touchdown that would tie the game with just over eight minutes left in regulation. Estime could see a similar role in next week’s game against the Titans if Quinshon Judkins (ankle) misses another game, but he’ll be hard to trust as far as fantasy is concerned.

Estime’s signing comes as Quinshon Judkins is dealing with an ankle injury he suffered in Week 5. Estime, who is only 23 years old, already feels like an NFL journeyman as he now heads to his fifth team in three seasons after brief stints with the Broncos, Eagles, Saints, and Vikings. The former fifth-round pick has rushed for 508 yards and three touchdowns in his career and rushed for 76-310-2 as a rookie with the Broncos. Estime could see snaps in Week 6 against the Ravens if Judkins is unable to play, but we wouldn’t expect to see anything close to a meaningful workload at this time.

This is a tough break. The Saints’ high-priced free agent signee will be sidelined for at least four games. Their Week 8 bye makes him eligible to return in Week 9. Veteran RB Alvin Kamara is the next man up, followed by RB Kendre Miller. Both should be rostered in 12-team leagues. Kamara will likely get the first crack at the starting job, but he has struggled to play efficiently this season, and coach Kellen Moore gave RB CJ Donaldson the backfield’s first green zone touch last week.

It’s unclear how much time Etienne will miss, but it wouldn’t be surprising if this became an injured reserve stint. Alvin Kamara could find himself in a more elevated role next week, perhaps with Kendre Miller joining him in a committee. Etienne exited Week 3’s loss to the Raiders with the injury after rushing for 57 yards on 13 carries. It had already been a tough scene for Etienne-reliant fantasy managers this year just based on how the results on the field were going; this won’t help.

Etienne entered the game with a hamstring injury and appears to have aggravated it on an explosive run. The Saints’ starting running back broke off a 16-yard gain in the third quarter, setting up a Saints passing touchdown on the following play. Etienne could be seen grabbing at his left hamstring at the end of the run. He had mostly been limited to modest single-digit gains before that, rushing 13 times for 57 yards and catching 2-of-2 targets for 13 yards on the day. He seems highly unlikely to return. Etienne and the other veteran running backs notably ceded the first backfield touch inside the green zone to RB CJ Donaldson.

We do not yet know today’s participation level, but Etienne logged two limited sessions to begin the week. Hopefully, we get a report pre-game revealing the injury’s severity, so we can better assess his potential usage. Given the Saints’ prior backfield workload splits and Etienne’s soft-tissue strain, he should probably be viewed as a low-end RB2/FLEX starter right now.

Etienne remains limited, which keeps him in the questionable camp for the Saints’ Week 3 game against the Raiders. Saints RB3 Kendre Miller was sidelined by an illness, but those rarely impact NFL players’ availability on game day. Veteran RB Alvin Kamara should be rostered wherever he is available.

Etienne begins the week with a limited session, which is either good or bad, depending on when the injury occurred. If this is a lingering issue from Sunday, Etienne should be considered likely to play. Limited practices early in the week are generally a good sign. However, if he suffered the injury during today’s practice, his Week 3 availability would be in jeopardy. Veteran Saints RB Alvin Kamara would likely get the start, but RB Kendre Miller would be FLEX-viable if Etienne sits.