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Kamara is coming off career-low production, ugly efficiency, and another injury-shortened season. The Saints moved in another direction by signing Travis Etienne as the featured back. Kamara may still help in spurts if he keeps a passing-down role, but view him as a late-round depth option who’d need an Etienne injury to become useful. Even in that case, Kamara wouldn’t be exciting.
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Across 11 games, Kamara set career lows in:
The result: a disappointing RB35 finish in PPR points per game. He cracked the top 12 just once and added only three more top-24 weeks.
Kamara began the season as the clear RB1 for new HC Kellen Moore. Through Week 4, he ranked ninth among RBs with 78 touches, well ahead of Kendre Miller’s 31.
But that role soon dwindled as Kamara dealt with an ankle injury. Over his final seven games, Kamara topped 15 touches only twice. That stretch included only two games with more than 3 catches.
Kamara’s efficiency bottomed out.
Among 51 RBs with 90+ carries, he ranked:
Surprisingly, Kamara also failed to shine as a receiver. Among 40 RBs with 30+ targets, he ranked just 36th in yards per route run. And his 5.6 yards per catch set a career low.
The Saints set a mixed environment for rushing production.
They finished first in pace and situation-neutral pace, adding an 11th-place finish in total plays. But they ranked just 23rd in rush attempts, 23rd in ESPN’s run-block win rate, and 31st in Pro Football Focus’ run-blocking grade.
The Saints also finished 23rd in total yards and 28th in scoring.
Kamara tallied 55+ catches in seven of his first eight seasons. Last year produced a career-low 3.0 catches per game, though, down from 4.9 in 2024 and 5.8 the season prior.
Last year also marked the second time in three seasons that he set a career low in yards per catch. His 11.9 carries per game were the fewest since Kamara’s 2017 rookie campaign.
Beyond the ankle injury, Kamara missed the final six games with an MCL sprain.
The veteran missed three games in 2024 with a groin injury, one in 2023 with an ankle, one in 2022 with a rib fracture, and four in 2021 with an MCL sprain.
Kamara’s future remains the biggest mystery.
In May, Kamara said he was “excited to see” what he and free agent pickup Travis Etienne can do. Saints reporter Nick Underhill also wrote that it’s “incredibly clear” that Kamara wants to remain on the team.
The team sounds less certain. In May, GM Mickey Loomis said the Saints are still trying to figure out how Kamara will “fit our roster.” That matters with Kamara in the final year of his contract carrying a $10.5 million cap hit, while Etienne counts only $5 million in Year 1 of a four-year deal.
We wouldn’t be surprised to see Kamara land elsewhere this summer. If not, though, he projects in primarily a pass-catching role. We’re currently projecting him for 5.6 carries and 2.4 targets per game.
QB Tyler Shough enters his first full season as starter. He made strides as a 26-year-old rookie, finishing 12th in adjusted completion rate and 13th in yards per attempt among 42 QBs with 150+ attempts.
Round 1 pick Jordyn Tyson pairs with Chris Olave to give this unit a huge upgrade at WR2. Last year, Rashid Shaheed finished as the second most productive WR (44-499-2) despite a midseason trade to Seattle. The boosted WR talent should only help lighten boxes for the RBs.
Former Round 1 OTs Kelvin Banks Jr. and Taliese Fuaga give the unit strong bookends. David Edwards joins them at LG after landing a deal that ranks 10th among guards in guarantees.
This unit will need better play from RG Cesar Ruiz and better health from C Erik McCoy to reach its potential. Ruiz tied for 67th in run-blocking grade last year, and injuries have forced McCoy to miss 20 games over the past two seasons.
The 2025 Saints ranked just 29th in situation-neutral run rate. The production wasn’t much better: 27th in rushing TDs, 28th in rushing yards, and 31st in yards per carry.
That likely comes back to Kamara’s inability to find success on the ground. He managed only 3.6 YPC and tallied the second-worst success rate of his career (42%).
HC Kellen Moore has a mixed history with rushing volume, but he’s certainly not opposed to leaning on the run:
Kamara simply isn’t positioned to capitalize after the signing of Etienne. We project Kamara for only 5.6 carries and 1.9 catches per game.
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Travis Etienne To IR
Travis Etienne To IR
The Saints are placing RB Travis Etienne on IR with his hamstring injury, HC Kellen Moore said Thursday. Etienne is out for at least the next 4 games. That extends to New Orleans' Week 8 bye, so Week 9 is the earliest we'll see Etienne again.
Travis Etienne Will Miss Time With Hamstring Injury
Travis Etienne Will Miss Time With Hamstring Injury
Saints HC Kellen Moore confirmed that RB Travis Etienne will miss time with his hamstring injury. Exactly how much time remains unclear. It's worth noting that New Orleans has a Week 8 bye, so Etienne could miss 4 games, take the bye week, and return for Week 9. We'll see if he lands on IR later this week.
It might be time to worry about Travis Etienne
It might be time to worry about Travis Etienne
The Saints upset the Ravens in Week 2, but the RB split makes Travis Etienne a fantasy concern going forward. Alvin Kamara returned to the lineup after missing Week 1, and Kendre Miller was inactive. That didn’t seem to help Etienne, who had 8 rushes for 25 yards. Kamara had 9 carries for 15 yards and was most active in the passing game, catching 5 of 6 targets for 7 yards, while Etienne caught both his targets for 6 yards. It appears Etienne is set to split time no matter which other RBs are active.
Kendre Miller A Healthy Scratch
Kendre Miller A Healthy Scratch
Saints RB Kendre Miller is inactive for today's game vs. the Ravens. He matched RB Travis Etienne with 9 carries last week but gets the boot today with RB Alvin Kamara back. We'll see how big a role Kamara plays in his 2026 debut, but Miller's absence makes Etienne a slightly better fantasy bet.
Alvin Kamara Set For 2026 Debut
Alvin Kamara Set For 2026 Debut
Saints RB Alvin Kamara (knee) put in a full week of practice and is off the final injury report. He’ll make his 2026 debut vs. the Ravens on Sunday. Kamara isn’t a viable fantasy starter but figures to steal some passing-down work from RB Travis Etienne.
See whether Alvin Kamara is available in your leagues.
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