New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara had a quasi-shocking appearance on the injury report on Friday and did not practice. Fantasy managers have been banking on Kamara to help carry them to a fantasy football championship this weekend despite his worst outing of the season in Week 16.
Will Kamara play today against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? What is the latest status of his illness and recovery? And, if Kamara does play, what is his potential fantasy outlook for championship week against the Buccaneers? Read on as we look to answer all of these questions.
Is Alvin Kamara Going To Play Week 17?
Kamara was a surprise addition to the injury report on Friday, having not appeared on the report on Wednesday or Thursday. Friday’s reports cited that Kamara had come down with an illness and that is why he was not at the practice facility on Friday.
However, it is extremely rare for an NFL player to miss time due to illness — let alone a game that, if the Saints lose, will see them eliminated from playoff contention and crown their fierce rivals, the Buccaneers, as the NFC South division champions for the third consecutive season.
Adam Schefter of ESPN added an update early this morning. He posted on social media platform X, “Saints’ RB Alvin Kamara, listed as questionable for Sunday due to an illness, is expected to play vs. the Buccaneers, per source.”
Therefore, with Kamara likely to play today against the Buccaneers, what is his potential fantasy outlook for Week 17?
What Is Kamara’s Potential Fantasy Outlook for Today?
Kamara comes into Week 17 as the RB11 in fantasy football. This is extremely impressive considering he missed the first three games of the season due to suspension. Since he returned in Week 4, Kamara has only failed to post double-digit fantasy points in a week just twice.
However, one of those performances came in Week 16, posting a season-low 6.0 fantasy points.
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Kamara is up against the Buccaneers, who have one of the better rushing defenses in the NFL. The Buccaneers are currently ranked sixth in terms of rushing yards allowed, allowing just 1,381 rushing yards all season. They are also ranked top 10 in least rushing touchdowns allowed, allowing just 11 rushing touchdowns so far this season.
On top of that, the Buccaneers are only allowing 15.5 fantasy points per game to running backs, which is the fourth-lowest in the NFL entering Week 17.
However, Kamara’s game isn’t predicated on what he does on the ground. Coming into Week 17, Kamara led all running backs in the NFL in receptions. His 73 receptions on 84 targets are both league highs. Remember, Kamara has only played 12 games so far this season. This gives Kamara an average of seven targets and six receptions per game.
In our PFN Consensus Rankings, Kamara is currently ranked as the RB3 on the week. Kamara is a must-start in all fantasy formats this week. Still, his true upside will come in all PPR formats due to the huge receiving workload he is expected to get.
Fantasy managers should feel confident starting Kamara in their lineups in championship week.
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