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Should I pickup Kendre Miller or CJ Donaldson as fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of 2026? Read our fantasy football waiver wire outlooks.
The New Orleans Saints signed running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) to a four-year, $48 million contract this offseason. It seemed that the plan was to have him serve as the team's lead back and handle a large volume while the aging Alvin Kamara (back) handled minimal duties as a backup.
Things have turned out quite differently -- Etienne's production was disappointing, and after just three games, he suffered a hamstring injury that's now landed him on injured reserve. He'll miss at least four games, and won't be able to return until Week 8 at the earliest.
Kamara isn't fully healthy either -- he's listed on the injury report with a back ailment and is questionable for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. So should you turn to the Saints RB3 and RB4 as waiver wire pickups for Week 5? Which one should you pick up?
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Kendre Miller Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
There was once a time in which Miller was thought of as a potential committee RB2 with a heavy rushing workload for the Saints, while Kamara would handle third down and pass-catching duties and mix in as a rusher of his own. As a prospect, Miller had an intriguing blend of contact balance, power, and acceleration.
Unfortunately, he hasn't quite looked the same since he suffered injury after injury early in his career. This season, he's been extremely inefficient, averaging just under 2.8 yards per carry. He has one rushing touchdown, but he's also fumbled the ball twice -- one of them was ripped out of his hands for a loss by a Falcons defender in Week 4.
A Falcons forced fumble!
@ATLvsNO on ESPN Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/V2AjOeOYHc
— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2026
He seems to be on the verge of getting reduced playing time.
CJ Donaldson Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
Many fantasy football managers may be wondering, "Who even is CJ Donaldson?" and that's a great question to ask. Why would you pick up Donaldson? Well, you're hoping that Kamara misses time and Miller struggles so that New Orleans decides to feed his backup a bunch of touches.
Donaldson's career has just started, so we haven't seen much of him. He's rushed seven times for 29 yards. He was an undrafted free agent from Ohio State. But with Kamara and Miller underperforming so badly, perhaps it's time to give him more of a shot.
CJ DONALDSON JR WITH THE STIFF ARM 💪
#Big12FB | #HailWV https://t.co/BUgv71x79L
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) October 5, 2024
At some point, you have to adjust your personnel based on the play you see on the field. Donaldson played with nice power in college and could get this run game off the ground if given the chance.
Should I Pickup Kendre Miller or CJ Donaldson For Fantasy Football?
That's an excellent question. From what we know so far, neither of them has a ton of upside. Donaldson's draft capital doesn't suggest he's an imminent breakout star, and Miller failed to impress the Saints enough to not have them sign a key free agent RB.
New Orleans' backfield has been minimally productive this season. Miller and Kamara average 1.7 and 1.6 yards before contact per rush attempt, which rank outside the top-60 in the NFL. They're hardly getting past the line of scrimmage before being hit by defenders.
CJ Donaldson for 32 yards
#Saints | 📺: FOX-8 https://t.co/SdyNcyuzwr
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 22, 2026
Donaldson had some nice plays in the preseason, but we haven't seen anything spectacular in the regular season so far. But we have plenty of games to know now that Miller doesn't seem to be the guy and has pretty low upside if you pick him up.
If the known isn't great, lean into the unknown. If you're looking to pick up one of these running backs, Donaldson may be the better choice, as he at least has a chance of running away with the RB3 job over Miller. Perhaps he could ascend even further on the depth chart.
Miller's career looks like it may be in jeopardy, meanwhile.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Kendre Miller, CJ Donaldson:
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