The New Orleans Saints’ Kendre Miller suffered a hamstring injury in an Aug. 30 practice, which immediately put his Week 1 status in jeopardy. New Orleans is desperate for bodies at the RB position with Alvin Kamara already dealing with a suspension, so Miller’s absence would impact quite a bit for this offense. Should fantasy football managers be concerned with Miller’s injury?
What Happened to Kendre Miller?
Miller remains sidelined with just one practice to go before Sunday’s Week 1 home tilt against the Titans, although he was spotted on the field before the team stretching period Thursday. However, at the time of writing, we haven’t heard anything noteworthy regarding his status for this upcoming matchup.
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Miller remains questionable for the time being. If he does manage to suit up, Miller could step into a solid complementary role behind Jamaal Williams versus Tennessee, given Kamara’s season-opening three-game suspension.
What Are the Saints’ Options If Miller Misses Time?
If Miller is absent from Sunday’s game, there’s not much depth behind Williams to rely on. Absent a practice-squad promotion, fourth-year pro Kirk Merritt, who has just one regular-season touch across seven career games, would be in line to serve as the No. 2 back.
In such a scenario, jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill, who’s averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored 23 touchdowns on his 317 career rush attempts, could get involved in the ground game as well.
What Does This Mean for Miller’s Fantasy Ranking?
Miller’s fantasy ranking shouldn’t sustain much of a hit from what would likely be a very short-term absence, but fantasy managers also need to see what his involvement in the offense looks like before confidently putting him into their starting lineups.
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Even if he sits out Week 1, the rookie, who rushed for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns during his final college season at TCU, would still have two more chances to operate as Williams’ primary backup before Kamara returned from his suspension.