Week 6 vs. Detroit Lions
Alvin Kamara turned 15 touches into 96 total yards and a touchdown in the Saints’ Week 4 win over the Dolphins in London. His role should increase following the Adrian Peterson trade to Arizona. Mark Ingram remains the Saints’ clear No. 1 back but Karama will continue to see time in a pass-catching role. He’s a dynamic runner and a weekly fantasy option in PPR formats.
The Saints host a Lions team ranked No. 15 against fantasy running backs. Kamara ranks as our RB22 for Week 6, so consider him as a low-end RB2 or FLEX option for Sunday.
Week 4 at Miami Dolphins (game in London)
Alvin Kamara rushed twice for 37 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' Week 3 win over the Panthers. He also added 3 catches for 5 yards. His touchdown sealed the win for New Orleans, which upset Carolina as a 5.5-point underdog. Kamara remains stuck behind Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson in the Saints' backfield rotation, but Sean Payton has kept him involved.
At some point, one would think Payton will move Kamara ahead of an ineffective Peterson. Until that happens, Kamara has little fantasy value. Ranked as our RB37, avoid him in Week 4.
Week 3 at Carolina Panthers
Alvin Kamara caught 3-of-7 targets for 51 yards in the Saints’ Week 2 loss to the Patriots. Outside of a great 38-yard reception in the second quarter, Kamara had an inconsistent performance versus New England. Still, it’s clear Sean Payton wants the rookie to be a key part of New Orleans’ electric passing game.
The Saints visit the Panthers, who own fantasy’s No. 1 defense against running backs. Ranked as our RB43, avoid Kamara this week. There will be better matchups in upcoming weeks to use Kamara as a PPR flex play. He’s nothing more than a dart throw for this Sunday against one of the top defenses in the NFL.
Week 2 vs. New England Patriots
Rookie Alvin Kamara rushed seven times for 18 yards and caught 4-of-6 targets for 20 yards in the Saints’ Week 1 loss to the Vikings. He led all running backs in snaps, carries and rushing yards. Part of that could have been because the Saints trailed the entire game and Kamara is Sean Payton’s preferred back in the passing game. Still, Kamara saw snaps on the opening drive of the game, so clearly the rookie will factor into the team’s weekly game plan.
Kamara ranks as our RB32 for Week 2’s matchup versus the Patriots, who rank as fantasy’s No. 6 defense against running backs. New England struggled against the run a week ago against Kansas City, but Kamara is nothing more than a dart throw this weekend. He’s worth picking up as a RB3/4 moving forward, however, so if he’s on your waiver wire he’s a good add for running back-needy teams.
Week 1 at Minnesota Vikings
The Saints traded up with the 49ers to select Alvin Kamara with the No. 67 overall pick in April’s NFL draft. Kamara is a versatile back that will figure into the Saints’ passing game this season. Still, he’s buried on the depth chart behind Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson, so while Kamara’s upside is high, he’s not fantasy relevant in 2017.
Kamara ranks as our No. 29 fantasy running back for Week 1, where the Saints will travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. Avoid Kamara until it’s clear how Sean Payton is going to use him.
Fantasy Upside
Third-round rookie Alvin Kamara should fill the pass-catching role previously held by Travaris Cadet. He’s an excellent route runner and even saw reps at receiver during OTAs. The Saints traded a 2018 second-round pick and a seventh-rounder to move up for Kamara in April, so clearly coach Sean Payton believes in the running back’s upside. If Kamara winds up filling a role similar to that of previous Payton running backs Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles, then he could receive 125+ touches as a rookie.
Fantasy Downside
Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson remain atop the Saints’ running back depth chart. Both Ingram and Peterson will see carries on early downs, leaving only so many opportunities for Kamara in a pass-first offense. The other challenge for Kamara will be learning how to pass block. If he can’t prove that he’ll hold up well against blitzers, Payton isn’t going to put Kamara on the field to get his future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees killed.
2017 Bottom Line
Kamara will need a significant injury to Ingram or Peterson to have fantasy relevance. He seemingly has a nice future in New Orleans, but for now, he’ll serve as a pass-catcher in a third-down role. Ranked as our RB56 heading into the season, you could take a late flier on Kamara in hopes that he’ll turn into the next Sproles, although make sure you play in a PPR format. Kamara has no value in standard leagues.
