Week 7 at Baltimore Ravens
Alvin Kamara rushed only six times for 24 yards while also catching 3-of-4 targets for 15 yards in the Saints’ Week 5 win over the Redskins. With Mark Ingram returning from a four-game suspension, Sean Payton took the opportunity to get extra rest for Kamara with the Saints cruising to a big lead after halftime. Even though Ingram out-touched Kamara 18-9 in the game, there’s no reason for Kamara owners to fret. There’s plenty of room in this backfield for both backs and Kamara remains the team’s No. 1 RB.
On Sunday the Saints visit the Ravens, who own the No. 1 defense against fantasy running backs. Still, we have Kamara ranked as our RB9 so make sure you put him back in your lineup following New Orleans’ bye last week.
Week 5 vs. Washington Redskins
Alvin Kamara rushed for 134 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries in the Saints’ Week 4 win over the Giants. He also caught five passes for 47 yards on a team-high nine targets. Even though Mark Ingram is set to return from suspension, Kamara will remain the focal point of Sean Payton’s offense. Do we really need to tell you to get Kamara in your lineup? If you're curious, Kamara ranks as our RB3 for Week 5. Play him.
Week 4 at New York Giants
Alvin Kamara racked up 66 yards on 16 carries while also catching 15-of-20 passes for an additional 124 yards in the Saints’ Week 3 win over the Falcons. Hopefully, Steve Sarkisian was watching how Sean Payton continues to use Kamara because it would be nice if the Falcons also utilized Tevin Coleman in a similar manner. I digress. Kamara had multiple opportunities to score but Zach Line vultured one of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter and Drew Brees stole another one when replay showed that the running back was down on the half-inch line in overtime. Nevertheless, it was another big day for Kamara, who ranks as our No. 1 RB heading into the Saints’ Week 4 matchup with the Giants.
Week 3 at Atlanta Falcons
Alvin Kamara rushed 13 times for 46 yards while also catching all six of his targets for 53 yards in the Saints’ Week 2 win over the Browns. He also added a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. Kamara surprisingly struggled on the ground against an underrated Cleveland front seven last week, though. He’ll have an opportunity to rebound this Sunday when the Saints travel to Atlanta to take on a banged-up Falcons defense. Ranked as our No. 1 RB, Kamara is a must-start in all formats.
Week 2 vs. Cleveland Browns
Picking up right where he left off a year ago, Alvin Kamara was sensational in the Saints’ Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers, rushing eight times for 29 yards and two touchdowns while also catching nine passes for 112 yards and an additional score on 12 targets. He also converted a pair of two-point conversations while dominating Tampa Bay’s hapless defense for 114 yards in the first-half alone. While he didn’t fare as well in the second half (he turned seven touches into just 27 yards), he still found the end zone twice. Kamara out-touched backup Mike Gillislee 17-3 and is matchup-proof every week. Ranked as our No. 2 RB, he needs to be in your lineup when the Saints face the Browns on Sunday.
Week 1 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Alvin Kamara didn’t even have a full-time role in the Saints offense until the team traded Adrian Peterson early last season. He still finished as fantasy's No. 4 overall player as a rookie. There’s no reason to believe Kamara will take a step backward this season, as he’ll have a huge role in both the running and passing game for the Saints. He also benefits from playing with future Hall of Famer Drew Brees and a creative mind in Sean Payton. Ranked as our No. 2 RB in PPR leagues for Week 1, Kamara needs to be in your lineup.
Fantasy Upside
As a rookie, Alvin Kamara finished as fantasy's No. 4 overall player last season and he wasn't even heavily involved in Sean Payton's offense for the first month of the season. Like Sean McVay with Todd Gurley, Payton knows how to best utilize Kamara, which is to get him involved in the passing game, especially on early downs when the success rate is high. Kamara finished with 826 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 81 receptions (100 targets), making him a PPR monster. Look for Kamara to occupy the same role this season, only this time right from Week 1.
Fantasy Downside
Kamara did suffer a concussion a year ago in a loss to the Falcons but was still able to play 16 games. He also only started three games, although that will change now that Adrian Peterson isn't starting the year on the roster and Mark Ingram will serve a suspension at the start of the season. The only other downside with Kamara is that there are more mouths to feed this year in New Orleans. The Saints parted ways with two ineffective players from last year in tight end Coby Fleener and receiver Willie Snead. They added Cameron Meredith, who offers more upside in the offense than Snead, but still, Kamara will get his touches.
2018 Bottom Line
Kamara is our No. 5 ranked RB in both standard and PPR formats. He will get enough touches in both the rushing and passing game to be worth a first-round investment. On top of what he brings in the passing game, Kamara should be able to improve his rushing totals from a year ago if the Saints' offensive line is healthy (it wasn't last season). He will cost you the fifth or sixth pick your draft but there's not much downside with Kamara.
Divisional Round at Minnesota Vikings
Alvin Kamara rushed 10 times for 23 yards and a touchdown while catching just 1-of-3 targets for 10 yards in the Saints' Wild Card victory over the Panthers. If we told you Kamara would catch only one pass against the Panthers you probably would have assumed one of two things: Either Kamara got hurt or the Saints lost the game. Carolina had the perfect game plan for New Orleans' offense, stuffing Kamara and Mark Ingram and daring Drew Brees to beat them. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Brees did just that and New Orleans advanced to the Divisional Round to play the Vikings in Minnesota on Sunday.
If Kamara is held in check again this weekend it'll be difficult for the Saints to move on to the NFC Championship Game. Minnesota's secondary is significantly better than Carolina's so Brees won't be able to win the game on his own. Even though the Vikings own the third-ranked defense against fantasy running backs, Kamara is our No. 2 running back for the Divisional Round. He's a prime bounce back candidate.
Wild Card Round vs. Carolina Panthers
Alvin Kamara rushed 9 times for 44 yards and a touchdown and caught 6-of-7 targets for 84 yards in the Saints’ Week 17 loss to the Bucs. He also added a 106-yard kickoff return for a touchdown where he wasn’t even touched. Kamara should be a lock for Rookie of the Year after averaging 7.7 yards per offensive touch this season. That was the highest single-season rate among players with at least 200 touches in NFL history according to Elias.
Even though the Saints also feature Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and Mark Ingram, the offense is Kamara's to some degree. Sean Payton does a fantastic job moving Kamara around the line of scrimmage to exploit mismatches in the defense. He will once again play a huge role in the Saints’ Wild Card matchup with the Panthers. Carolina ranks as fantasy’s No. 4 defense against running backs but Kamara will be a factor in both the passing and running game, so start him.
Week 17 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Alvin Kamara rushed 12 times for 32 yards while catching 7-of-9 passes for 58 yards in the Saints’ Week 16 win over the Falcons. Kamara was once again New Orleans’ offense, which was quiet until a Ted Ginn 54-yard touchdown reception right before halftime. Kamara had a solid first half but once the Falcons moved linebacker Deion Jones into coverage against Kamara, the rookie struggled in the second half.
Kamara has a great matchup on Sunday when the Saints visit a Bucs team ranked No. 22 against fantasy running backs. New Orleans needs a win to clinch the NFC South Division title so the Saints’ starters will play. Ranked as our No. 1 RB for Week 17, get Kamara in all of your fantasy lineups.
