Saints News: CJ Donaldson is Building Hype
New Orleans Saints running back CJ Donaldson has seen a minimal role in the offense through the first three games of the season, carrying the ball four times for 11 yards and catching one pass for minus-2 yards.
Donaldson’s path to the active roster has been unusual. He was elevated from the practice squad for the season opener against Detroit, played sparingly, then reverted to the practice squad two days later. The Saints signed him to the 53-man roster for good on Sept. 18, and he has appeared in all three games since, working mostly on special teams and in a fullback-style role rather than as a traditional ball-carrying back. That distinction matters for anyone eyeing him as a depth option, since his usage so far has leaned more toward blocking and coverage work than touches.
The backfield picture changed again last week when Travis Etienne left New Orleans’ loss to Las Vegas with a hamstring injury and was ruled out for this week’s game against Atlanta. Alvin Kamara, who opened the season on the mend from a sprained MCL before returning in Week 2, is expected to handle the bulk of the workload with Etienne sidelined. Kendre Miller has also been part of the rotation, playing four carries for 14 yards and two catches for 5 yards last week against the Raiders after being a healthy scratch the previous week once Kamara got back on the field.
Where Donaldson stands is less clear. He is on the roster and has stayed involved in the offense’s game plan in a complementary capacity, and if the Saints lean on more two-back or heavier personnel groupings with Etienne out, he could see a modest bump in snaps. But nothing in his usage pattern so far suggests the Saints view him as a traditional third or fourth option at running back the way Miller has been used. His clearest value remains as a depth stash rather than someone likely to see meaningful carries even in Etienne’s absence.
New Orleans hosts Atlanta on Monday night in Week 4. The Saints have thrown the ball as much as almost any team in the league so far this season, which has kept overall carry totals modest across the backfield even before the Etienne injury. Keep that context in mind for anyone considering Donaldson: even an expanded role in a run-first sense may not translate into much fantasy production given how pass-heavy New Orleans has been.
For deep and dynasty leagues, Donaldson remains a name worth knowing given the uncertainty behind Kamara on the depth chart, but he profiles more as a special-teams and short-yardage complement than a back who is likely to push for real touches in the next few weeks. Managers holding open bench spots in the deepest formats can afford to monitor his role without expecting an immediate payoff.
