Kimani Vidal vs Travis Etienne: Who Should You Start?
Kimani Vidal and Travis Etienne are both viable fantasy running backs heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Kimani Vidal averaged 8.5 PPG across 13 games with the Los Angeles Chargers, while Travis Etienne posted 13.9 PPG in 17 appearances for the New Orleans Saints.
A 5.4-PPG gap gives Travis Etienne the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Both profile as early-down workhorses. Kimani Vidal ran for 643 yards and 3 touchdowns; Travis Etienne posted 1107 and 7. Goal-line share, red zone touches, and which team is favored are usually the tiebreaker when neither back offers passing-game volume.
Kimani Vidal has his bye in Week 5, and Travis Etienne rests in Week 12. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at running back for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
