Saints' Alvin Kamara: Runs into brick wall defense
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Kamara rushed 11 times for 26 yards and caught six of eight targets for 40 yards in Monday's 26-13 loss to the Chiefs.
Kamara was stuffed on most of his carries against a tough Kansas City defensive line in Monday's primetime matchup. The versatile tailback maintained a modest four-game streak of posting 40 or more receiving yards on his six receptions. Kamara will look for more success from a fantasy perspective in a home matchup against the Buccaneers on Sunday.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Limited in practice again
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Kamara (hip/ribs) was a limited practice participant Friday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Kamara was listed with the same pair of injuries last week and ended up taking 26 touches for 119 yards and a touchdown on 81 percent snap share in a loss to the Falcons. The concern for Monday's game in Kansas City isn't Kamara's health but the health of his blockers, as the Saints already have starting center Erik McCoy (groin) on injured reserve and now have three additional interior linemen missing practice due to injuries. It won't be hard for the Chiefs to get superstar DT Chris Jones in favorable matchups, which is bad news for Kamara's rushing outlook but could help his receiving volume.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Begins week as limited
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Kamara (hip/ribs) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday.
Kamara managed a pair of limited practices last week due to the same health concerns and still was able to suit up this past Sunday in Atlanta, handling a typical 82 percent snap share and turning 26 touches into 119 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD. His scaled-back workload Thursday likely is maintenance-related, but his status still should be monitored to ensure he's good to go for Monday's matchup with the Chiefs.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Finds end zone in Atlanta
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Kamara carried the ball 19 times for 77 yards and a touchdown and caught seven of nine targets for 42 yards in Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Falcons.
For the fourth straight game to begin the season, Kamara topped 100 scrimmage yards, and he's already piled up six TDs (five rushing, one receiving). His one-yard score inside the final three minutes of the fourth quarter Sunday looked like it might give the Saints the win, but a pass interference call on Paulson Adebo set up Younghoe Koo for a game-winning 58-yard field goal for the Falcons instead. Kamara will look to keep rolling in Week 5 against Kansas City.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Active in Week 4
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Kamara (hip/ribs) is listed as active Sunday at Atlanta.
After sitting out Wednesday's practice due to hip and rib injuries, Kamara closed Week 4 prep with consecutive limited sessions, which left him questionable heading into the weekend. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported early Sunday morning ET that Kamara intended to suit up, and that has come to pass. In three contests on the campaign, Kamara has been a workhorse out of the Saints backfield, averaging 23.7 touches for 139 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring five total TDs.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Plans to play in Week 4
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Kamara (hip/ribs), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game versus Atlanta, is expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Kamara was able to log back-to-back limited practices to end the week, and he now plans on playing in Week 4 against Atlanta. The running back will likely go through team warmups ahead of the matchup at 1:00 p.m. ET, and an official decision on his availability will come thereafter.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Listed as questionable
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Kamara (hip/ribs) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Atlanta, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
He managed limited practices Thursday and Friday after sitting out Wednesday. That would seem to make Kamara better than 50/50 to play, but fantasy managers will still want to prepare for the alternative ahead of a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff this Sunday. Fellow Saints RB Jamaal Williams will take on a larger role if Kamara is inactive or limited, with rookie Jordan Mims and versatile weapon Taysom Hill also candidates to get some carries.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Practicing again
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Kamara (hip/ribs) is practicing Friday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Kamara returned to practice Thursday as a limited participant after sitting out Wednesday. Another practice Friday puts him on track to play Sunday at Atlanta.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Officially limited Thursday
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Kamara (hip/ribs) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Kamara didn't take part in Wednesday's session due to a hip pointer and a rib injury, but the absence may have been maintenance-related after he handled 29 touches during the Saints' Week 3 loss to the Eagles. He thus will have one more chance to get back to full participation Friday before the team potentially marks him with a designation for Sunday's contest in Atlanta.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Returns to practice Thursday
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Kamara (hip/ribs) took part in Thursday's practice, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
The Saints held Kamara out of Wednesday's session due to a rib injury and a hip pointer, so his return to drills one day later implies he's made a measure of progress in his recovery. Thursday's practice report ultimately will reveal his activity level, but there's been no indication that New Orleans' No. 1 RB is in danger of missing Sunday's game in Atlanta.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Misses practice Wednesday
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Kamara won't practice Wednesday due to a rib injury and a hip pointer, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Kamara is nursing a pair of injuries on the heels of handling a massive workload in the Saints' loss to the Eagles this past Sunday, when he carried 26 times for 87 yards in addition to bringing in all three of his targets for 40 yards. He will have two more chances to increase his practice activity ahead of Sunday's divisional matchup against the Falcons. Jamaal Williams and Jordan Mims are the Saints' top backfield options behind Kamara, though Taysom Hill (lung) -- who sat out the Week 3 loss -- will also factor into the mix for carries Sunday, if available.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Logs 26 carries versus Philly
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Kamara logged 26 rushes for 87 yards and gathered in all three targets for 40 yards during Sunday's 15-12 loss to the Eagles.
Kamara had to shoulder a bigger workload due to Taysom Hill being sidelined due a bruised lung, as Hill was the Saints' No. 2 rushing option while taking handoffs and direct snaps out of the shotgun over the first two weeks of the season. In his absence, Kamara logged a season high in touches, and this was his first game with over 25 rushing attempts since the 2021 season. However, the Saints logged just one rushing attempt of over 16 yards against the Eagles' defense. Kamara also didn't see nearly as many scoring opportunities compared to his four-touchdown outing last week, as the Saints ran just eight total plays from within the Eagles' red zone. He'll look to find his way back into the end zone Sunday against Atlanta.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Piles up yardage in big win
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Kamara carried the ball 15 times for 83 yards and a touchdown and caught all five of his targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 47-10 win over the Panthers.
The veteran running back didn't get the contract extension he was looking for ahead of the season opener, but Kamara didn't let that affect his performance on the field. He capped his big day with a one-yard TD plunge in the third quarter. Kamara hasn't posted better than 4.0 yards per carry in a season since 2020, but if the Saints' offense is able to keep putting up numbers against tougher opponents, he could be headed for a bounce-back campaign. Kamara will face a much sterner test in Week 2 against the Cowboys.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Not playing in preseason finale
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Kamara isn't suited up for Sunday's exhibition contest against Tennessee, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Kamara returned to practice Tuesday after dealing with back tightness for about a week. The running back missed the Saints' second preseason game against San Francisco last weekend and won't play in the finale of the exhibition slate Sunday, so he'll finish the preseason with the two carries for three yards he tallied in New Orleans' opener against Arizona on Aug. 10. All signs point to Kamara being ready to go as the Saints' No. 1 running back Week 1 against Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 8.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Returns to practice
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Kamara (back) returned to practice Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
While it was a lighter practice, according to Matthew Paras of NOLA.com, Kamara's return is certainly a positive sign. Kamara had been sidelined since Aug. 13 with back tightness. Given the veteran's status as the team's No. 1 option in the backfield, it would not be surprising to see head coach Dennis Allen continue to exercise caution with his availability going forward in preseason competition.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Sitting out against 49ers
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Kamara (back) won't play in Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers, John Hendrix of Sports Illustrated reports.
Kamara is in attendance but won't be seeing the field, as the coaching staff has little reason to deploy the veteran running back in this exhibition game while he works his way back from back tightness that has kept him from practicing in the lead-up to this second preseason game. Kamara's unlikely to dress for the Saints' Aug. 25 preseason finale against the Titans, but the team hasn't given any indication that his regular-season availability could be affected by the injury.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Still missing practice
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Kamara (back) remained sidelined at practice Friday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Per Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Kamara left practice earlier this week with back tightness, so at this stage the running back should be considered day-to-day. With that in mind, it doesn't seem likely that Kamara will appear in Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Dealing with back injury
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Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Kamara didn't practice Tuesday due to back tightness, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Prior to Tuesday's session, Kamara participated in walkthrough, so he wasn't without some activity, and Allen told Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune afterward that the running back's situation is "not a big deal." Kamara handled six offensive snaps during this past Saturday's preseason win at Arizona, but it's unclear if the current concern will affect his availability for Sunday's exhibition at San Francisco.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Role safe following NFL Draft
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Kamara (ankle) is in a strong position to maintain his role in New Orleans' offense after the team did not pick a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, instead signing Jacob Kibodi as an undrafted free agent.
The Saints added two running backs by this point of last offseason, bringing in veteran free agent Jamaal Williams and third-round pick Kendre Miller for depth behind Kamara. The latter running back still shouldered the majority of work out of the backfield with 180 carries for 694 yards and five touchdowns. He also played a significant role in the passing game with 75 receptions for 466 yards. This versatility speaks to Kamara's importance in what was an extremely limited offense. Williams unsurprisingly played much more sparingly as a short-yardage back, and he should function in a similar role in 2024. Taysom Hill has always been used as a Swiss Army Knife who, at times, operates as a rushing quarterback out of the shotgun. However, Hill's usage has never threatened Kamara's production in the past. Instead, his biggest obstacles to seeing another heavy workload in 2024 would be whether or not Miller starts to see more opportunities or if Kamara continues to struggle with injuries, as he did miss the 2023 season finale with a sprained ankle. The Saints added offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which could help keep defenders off Kamara while improving the team's ground game as a whole.
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Saints' Alvin Kamara: Second in catches among RBs
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Kamara (ankle) finished the 2023 season with 694 yards and five touchdowns on 180 rushing attempts, as well as 75 catches (on 86 targets) for 466 yards and one touchdown.
Despite sitting out the first three games of the season due to a suspension and missing the Saints' finale with an ankle injury, Kamara finished just one catch shy of Breece Hall's league-leading total among running backs. Kamara's 6.2 yards per catch were a career low, though, and he posted the second-lowest YPC mark of his seven-year career at 3.9, suggesting that the 28-year-old running back is starting to slow down. There's a potential out in his contract this offseason, and the Saints will probably try to rework Kamara's deal rather than take on a nearly $19 million cap hit in 2024. Any change in situation would likely negatively impact Kamara's fantasy value, as his volume's more likely to go down than up, even with his ankle injury expected to be healed well before the 2024 campaign.
