Alvin Kamara has long been one of the best running backs in fantasy football. He’s averaged more than 17 fantasy points per game in all but one of his eight NFL seasons, and he’s had five years averaging more than 18 points and three with over 20 points per game. In 2024, Kamara put up nearly 19 points per game and finished ninth in fantasy points among running backs.
Despite his fantasy success, Kamara has never rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season. However, he’s made up for that with his stellar pass-catching chops … Kamara has hauled in at least 57 passes in all but one of his eight pro seasons, and he’s combined for 143 catches over the last two years, during which time he’s also had 1,009 receiving yards.
2025 Fantasy Outlook
The Saints offense is going to look much different this upcoming season, as the team hired Kellen Moore as their new head coach. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Eagles and before that, the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys. The team will also have a new quarterback after the retirement of Derek Carr. Second-round pick Tyler Shough might be considered the early favorite, but Spencer Rattler is also expected to compete.
New Orleans looked to fortify its offensive line by signing veteran OG Dillon Radunz and selecting OT Kelvin Banks Jr. in the first round of the NFL draft. The rookie ranked 13th in terms of PFF grading among FBS tackles last season and was 26th as a run blocker. Obviously, that's good news for Kamara and the ground game.
The Saints will also get wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) back this season, and the team brought back veteran Brandin Cooks to pair with Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Still, this offense will likely feature Kamara in a prominent role under Moore’s guidance in 2025.
Draft Or Pass
With either a rookie in Shough or a second-year player in Rattler under center, Kamara will be leaned on as a runner and security blanket out of the backfield. As a result, touches should not be an issue. The concerns about Kamara are twofold. First, he’s entering his age-30 season, which is when countless other running backs have started to see a statistical decline.
Second, his numbers were markedly better last season with Carr under center. In those 10 games, the veteran runner averaged 20.4 points. In three games with Rattler as the starter, that total dropped to 14.6 points. As a result, fantasy managers should expect to see Kamara’s point-per-game average decline a bit in 2025 compared to what it was last season (19 PPG).
Verdict
In the SI 12-Team PPR Mock Draft, Kamara was a fourth-round pick. His average draft position on the NFFC website is 50.9, while he’s coming off the board a few spots later (61.3) at Underdog Fantasy. In either case, Kamara is a “draft” for me as a No. 2 fantasy running back. Just don’t expect another top-10 fantasy finish.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fantasy Football Draft Or Pass: Will Alvin Kamara Remain a Top-10 Running Back?.
