The New Orleans Saints backfield has been gutted by injuries, leaving Audric Estimé and Evan Hull to handle the workload. Both backs enter Week 16 with uncertain roles but a favorable matchup. Which Saints running back, if any, deserves fantasy football consideration?
Audric Estimé’s Fantasy Outlook
Estimé landed with New Orleans after washing out in Denver, where he lasted just one season following his fifth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has only six carries since joining the Saints, offering virtually no proven rushing résumé to evaluate.
Curiously, despite profiling more like an early-down grinder, Estimé handled the bulk of the passing-game work last week. He caught all three of his targets for 39 yards, emerging as the more involved receiver between the two backs.
That usage hints at a potential passing-down role, even if it runs counter to his perceived archetype. In a backfield this thin, any receiving involvement matters for fantasy because it offers an additional path to touches when game script tilts negative.
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Nick Underhill tentatively expects Estimé to start, but that designation carries limited meaning. New Orleans has no incentive to feature him as a true workhorse with the season effectively over. The coaching staff will simply ride whoever looks better on a given series, making Estimé’s projected volume highly volatile.
Evan Hull’s Fantasy Outlook
Hull entered the league a year earlier than Estimé, also as a fifth-round pick. However, he brings with him even less NFL production. Hull had just two career touches prior to joining the Saints this season.
Last week, Hull stepped into early-down work after Devin Neal left with a hamstring strain, handling four carries without drawing a single target. The absence of receiving work signals a primarily rushing-focused role. While that could lead to meaningful volume if the Saints lean on the ground game, it also caps his fantasy ceiling relative to a back who catches passes. Hull’s profile currently resembles that of a satellite back, but that is not how the Saints used him last week in brief action.
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Like Estimé, Hull has everything to play for over the final three weeks. Both backs are effectively auditioning for future employment, which should translate into maximum effort on every touch. Effort alone, however, cannot compensate for uncertain usage and a limited track record of NFL success.
Should You Start Estimé or Hull This Week?
This backfield might be the most ambiguous situation on the Week 16 slate. With Alvin Kamara still nursing a sprained MCL, Kendre Miller on injured reserve, and Devin Neal done for the season, the Saints have no established hierarchy beyond “whoever looks better today.” The team has no long-term allegiance to either Estimé or Hull, and both are essentially on three-week tryouts.
Reports suggest Estimé is tentatively expected to start, but that label is almost meaningless. Both backs will play, and this projects as a true hot-hand approach where the coaching staff leans on whichever runner finds success. Fantasy managers have no reliable indicators for:
- Who will see more total touches
- Who will handle goal-line carries
- How the passing-down work will be split
The matchup, unfortunately, is fantastic, which makes the uncertainty even more frustrating. The New York Jets allow the fifth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to running backs, making this one of the best spots on the board for volume and efficiency on the ground. However, the Saints’ offense is far from explosive, further limiting touchdown opportunities.
Given the combination of completely unknown touch distribution, lack of clarity on goal-line usage, and a middling overall offense, both Estimé and Hull should be viewed as pure desperation Flex plays. If injuries and byes have decimated your roster, you can take a swing on one, understanding the floor is close to zero.
If you have any reasonably stable alternative, both Saints backs are best left on benches. Perhaps we get some insight into whether one of these backs is usable in the championship.
