The logical conclusion that everyone has reached is that Alvin Kamara will take over the backfield of the New Orleans Saints for as long as Travis Etienne is out with an injury.
And yeah, that makes sense. Kamara is the veteran leader of this RB group, the guy who has already achieved so much in the NFL.
It’s the simplest conclusion to reach, that Kamara will be the unquestioned RB1 when the Saints take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4 on Monday Night Football.
It’s not the only possibility, though. There are other running backs on the New Orleans roster who have already made an impact this season, too.
It’s not a given that Kamara dominates touches over Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson.
Alvin Kamara Role
Certainly by notation, Kamara will be RB1 in Week 4.
He was at one point during the summer listed as co-RB1 with Etienne. The Saints have been generous with Kamara’s depth chart spot all year.
In usage, it’s likely that Kamara leads the backfield in touches, especially considering his passing game prowess, but that’s not a sure thing.
“Etienne had a season-high 19 carries for 57 yards before the injury,” ESPN’s Katherine Terrell wrote this week. “After he left, carries were split between Alvin Kamara (six carries after Etienne’s injury) and Kendre Miller (four carries after Etienne’s injury). Kamara, who missed time with a knee injury in September, had nine carries in his season debut against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 over Etienne’s eight carries, although the Saints almost exclusively used Etienne as the main rusher in the first half of the Raiders game. Kamara, Miller and rookie CJ Donaldson will likely all be used in the Saints’ Week 4 game against the Atlanta Falcons next Monday night. Kamara is second on the team with 18 carries for 51 yards despite missing the season opener, while Miller, who was a healthy inactive against the Ravens, is third with 13 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown.”
With the pass-catching aspect in mind, Miller did catch two passes compared to just one reception for Kamara in Week 3. They both are capable of that.
Donaldson seems to be more of a goal-line and short-yardage back, but that could rob Kamara of a touchdown at some point.
Alvin Kamara Fantasy Outlook
Saints fans in general will want to know what Kamara is going to do this week, but a lot of the folks interested in his role are likely wondering about their fantasy football lineups.
The reality is that Kamara should get enough touches to warrant FLEX consideration, at least, particularly in PPR formats.
There is some risk, though. He’s not an auto-start like he was earlier in his career.
This is still an aging running back who could be looking at some form of a timeshare.
But there’s a strong floor on Kamara’s touches on Monday night, and sometimes you have to rely on the player who you know will get at least some action.
Saints’ Alvin Kamara Role Depends on Kendre Miller, CJ Donaldson