Alvin Kamara isn’t the player fantasy football wants him to be anymore. We see this happen annually, where a player from yesteryear remains on rosters and naturally pops up on radars at a point where the known names are few and far between. He was an avoid before the knee injury that is going to cost him games early in the season and is thus more true now than ever.
Should I Draft Alvin Kamara in Fantasy Football?
Entering his age-31 season, Kamara simply does not possess the game-breaking explosiveness that once made him an elite fantasy asset. His rushing efficiency fell to a career low last season, continuing a troubling, steady downward trend that has lingered since the pandemic. He is no longer making defenders miss or creating chunk plays at a rate that fantasy managers can rely on, making his baseline output heavily dependent on an offensive workload that is no longer his to lose.
Compounding his declining efficiency on the ground is the severe erosion of his role in the passing game, which was previously his absolute fantasy superpower. Last season, his target share crashed dramatically, removing the reliable PPR floor that once kept his weekly scoring afloat even when the rushing yards were not there.
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Furthermore, scoring opportunities have been increasingly limited for him, significantly capping his ceiling on a week-to-week basis. Without those valuable, high-leverage touches near the goal line or a steady stream of dump-off passes out of the backfield, his path to double-digit fantasy points has become incredibly narrow.
The final element that removes all interest from Kamara’s outlook is the hierarchy of the New Orleans backfield. The Saints brought in Travis Etienne this offseason to handle the bulk of the offensive work, and I fully expect the younger back to do that and do that at a high level.
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With Etienne commanding the lion’s share of the rushing attempts and valuable touches, Kamara’s playing time will be minimal. Given his poor rushing efficiency and plummeting target share, this isn’t even a handcuff situation that I view as rosterable in most formats.
Kyle Soppe’s RB Fantasy Rankings 2026
- Bijan Robinson | ATL
- Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
- James Cook III | BUF
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Jonathan Taylor | IND
- Christian McCaffrey | SF
- De’Von Achane | MIA
- Saquon Barkley | PHI
- Chase Brown | CIN
- Derrick Henry | BAL
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- D’Andre Swift | CHI
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- Josh Jacobs | GB
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Jordan Mason | MIN
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Rico Dowdle | PIT
- Blake Corum | LAR
- Kyle Monangai | CHI
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Rachaad White | WAS
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- Isiah Pacheco | DET
- Nick Singleton | TEN
- James Conner | ARI
- Kimani Vidal | LAC
- Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG
- Jaylen Wright | MIA
- Woody Marks | HOU
