The question throughout Week 3 has been around whether New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara is playing this week. After missing the game last week, Kamara was able to put in limited practices all week before being listed as questionable on Friday. Let’s take a look at whether Kamara is playing this week and what fantasy football managers should do with the Saints backfield.
Update: Alvin Kamara is active for the Saints in Week 3.
Is Alvin Kamara playing today?
Despite Kamara missing the game last week, there was general optimism coming out of New Orleans that the absence was more precautionary than because of a really serious injury. Heading into the Week 3 game against the Carolina Panthers, that certainly appears to be the case. According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter late on Saturday, Kamara is expected to suit up Sunday.
This was always the way it was trending this week, but that doesn’t mean fantasy managers shouldn’t be concerned still. According to Deepak Chona on Twitter, Kamara should be expected to be close to full explosiveness, but there is a real risk of the injury being re-aggravated during the game. That re-aggravation concern is the biggest risk here when it comes to starting Kamara this week, as we could see him come out of the game if that is the case.
What should fantasy managers do with Alvin Kamara in Week 3?
It’s a really tough decision whether to start Kamara in fantasy leagues this week. Through two weeks, the Panthers have allowed 269 rushing yards, 42 receiving yards, and two total touchdowns to the RB position. They somewhat managed to contain Saquon Barkley last week, as he finished with 88 yards on 24 touches.
It’s unlikely that we see Kamara touch the ball 24 times in this game, given he is entering the game with an injury. Therefore, fantasy managers are looking for him to produce at a much more efficient rate than we saw from Barkley. In Week 1, Kamara managed just 46 yards on 12 touches.
However, Kamara does have a good history when facing the Panthers. In eight previous meetings, the Saints’ RB has scored seven touchdowns while averaging 5.4 receptions and 88.5 total yards per game.
The problem is that it all comes back to this re-aggravation risk with Kamara. That danger of him leaving the game after one hit in the wrong place is a concern. Therefore, if you have other starting options you can rely on, sitting Kamara for one more week might be wise. However, if there isn’t another option you feel comfortable starting, then Kamara at least should be able to get you a minimum of five to eight points in non-PPR, with the upside of breaking a big play or finding the end zone.
Does Mark Ingram II have fantasy value in Week 3?
Mark Ingram II touched the ball 12 times last week in the absence of Kamara but would be expected to play a smaller role this week. He did have some success last week, finishing with 58 yards on 10 rushing attempts. Yet, he also fumbled for the second week running, which could have an impact on his playing time with Dwayne Washington and Tony Jones Jr. both healthy entering Sunday.
With Kamara expected to be the lead back, there is no real value to starting anyone else in this backfield. But if we found out ahead of the game that Kamara was going to be inactive, Ingram would be expected to have the most carries and have value as a potential Flex option in 14-team leagues and deeper.
