ADP: | Round: 1, Pick: 2 |
Team: | New Orleans Saints |
Ht / Wt: | 5'10" / 214 lb. |
College: | Tennessee |
Age: | 25 |
Born: | July 25, 1995 |
Drafted: | 2017 / Rd. 3 (67) |
Draft Team: | NO |
Kamara rushed 18 times for 85 yards and caught three of six targets for 20 yards in Sunday's NFC divisional round loss to the Buccaneers.
Analysis: Kamara reached the century mark in combined yards in consecutive playoff performances, but he was unable to hit pay dirt this time around as the Saints ultimately fell to their division rivals. The dual-threat back finished the regular season with a combined 1,688 yards and a whopping 21 total touchdowns, both of which were new career highs. There is no questioning Kamara's talent and status as one of the game's best fantasy performers, but quarterback Drew Brees' retirement decision this upcoming offseason may affect the superstar back. Even with Brees' steep drop-off in arm strength and overall effectiveness in his age-42 season, he still boosted Kamara's value as a receiving threat on short and intermediate routes out of the backfield. In the four games that Brees missed this season, Kamara averaged just 2.5 receptions, 12.8 receiving yards and no touchdowns with backup and potential replacement Taysom Hill. The Saints could go in another direction whenever the first-ballot Hall of Famer decides to hang 'em up for good, but the play style of that quarterback could alter Kamara's usage.
Kamara rushed 23 times for 99 yards and a touchdown and secured both of his targets for 17 yards in the Saints' 21-9 win over the Bears on Sunday.
Analysis: The All-Pro back failed to get much going on the ground, with a quarter of his production coming on a 25-yard gainer. Still, he chipped away at the Bears defense all afternoon with a robust 23 carries and finished the contest with over 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Kamara will face a tough test in next week's NFC divisional round when New Orleans hosts a Tampa Bay defense that allowed a league-low 60 rushing yards per contest in the regular season.
Kamara (illness) was activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Analysis: Kamara seemed to indicate via his official Twitter account earlier in the week that this would be a possibility, so the official designation isn't entirely surprising. The star back will miss just one game after testing positive for COVID-19 and thus is set to play in the team's wild-card matchup against the Bears.
Kamara (illness) posted a message on his official Twitter account Thursday that appears to indicate he's on track for Sunday's wild-card round against the Bears.
Analysis: Kamara missed the Saints' season-finale against the Panthers after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a result of testing positive for the virus, and though he currently remains on the reserve list, it appears that the star running back expects to be available versus Chicago. Sunday morning appears to represent the earliest possible date that Kamara could return to the team, given that he would not have been eligible to play had the Saints' wild-card game been scheduled for Saturday, so a final word on his status will likely still come down to the wire. Latavius Murray would stand to handle the bulk of New Orleans' backfield reps if Kamara were unable to gain full clearance.
Kamara's eligibility for the wild-card round of the playoffs could depend on whether the Saints are scheduled to play Saturday (Jan. 9) or Sunday (Jan. 10), Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: With two tests for COVID-19 coming back positive, Kamara can't play in Sunday's game against the Panthers. He won't be eligible for a game until 10 days after Dec. 31 -- when he initially tested positive -- and that's only if he remains asymptomatic and receives medical clearance. There is some chance the Saints won't even play in the first round of the playoffs, but it requires three games going in their favor to create a three-way tie at 12-4 atop the NFC.
Kamara has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and won't play in Sunday's game against the Panthers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: With multiple tests coming back positive, Kamara may not be eligible to play in the wild-card round of the playoffs. There is still some chance for the Saints to get a bye week, so they'll likely give Latavius Murray a sizable workload this Sunday against the Panthers. Murray put up back-to-back games with triple-digit yardage and multiple TDs when Kamara missed Weeks 7 and 8 of 2019.
Kamara tested positive for COVID-19 and now is waiting on results from a follow-up test, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: If the second test also comes back positive, Kamara will be ruled out for Sunday's game against the Panthers and unlikely to return for the wild-card round of the playoffs. Latavius Murray will fill in as the lead back if Kamara misses any games. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports that the star running back hasn't shown any symptoms and says he's feeling healthy, perhaps giving the Saints some hope the initial test was a false positive.
Kamara rushed 22 times for 155 yards and six touchdowns while also bringing three of five targets for 17 yards in the Saints' 52-33 win over the Vikings on Friday.
Analysis: As the eye-popping stat line indicates, Kamara put together a record-setting performance for a national audience that will go into NFL annals as one of the most prolific in league history. In fact, only one other player -- Hall of Famer Ernie Nevers back in 1929 -- had ever scored six touchdowns in a game before Kamara accomplished the feat Friday. The fourth-year pro also set a new single-game career high in rushing yardage for good measure while scoring from 40, one, five, six, seven and three yards out, with at least one touchdown in each quarter. Kamara will now look to follow up the spectacular effort by gaining the 68 rushing yards he needs to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the first time when he faces the Panthers in a Week 17 road matchup.
Kamara carried the ball 11 times for 54 yards and caught three of six targets for 40 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 32-29 loss to Kansas City.
Analysis: With Drew Brees back under center instead of Taysom Hill, the Saints' offensive scheme returned to normal, and Kamara hauled in his first receiving TD since Week 10 -- Brees' last appearance before injuring his ribs. No matter who's been at QB he's been productive however, topping 90 combined yards in three straight games, and he's now reached 1,500 scrimmage yards on the season for the third time in his career. Kamara will look to keep rolling in Week 16's clash with a Vikings defense that just surrendered 162 yards and two touchdowns to David Montgomery.
Kamara figures to be busy during Sunday's game against Kansas City, playing in a Saints offense with Drew Brees (ribs) at quarterback and Michael Thomas (ankle) out of the lineup, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Analysis: Kamara had a rushing touchdown and seven receptions in last week's loss to the Eagles, but he otherwise put up mediocre numbers with Taysom Hill at quarterback. Kamara averaged 14.2 PPR points in Hill's four starts, down from 27.4 per game in nine appearances with Brees under center. Kamara was even better during a six-game stretch when the Saints had Brees but not Thomas, averaging 28.7 PPR points and 9.7 targets. The dual-threat back returns to high-end RB1 status now that Brees is back, facing a Chiefs defense that's given up the eighth-most rushing yards (102.7 per game) and eighth-most receiving yards (67.6) to running backs.
Kamara carried the ball 11 times for 50 yards and a touchdown and caught seven of 10 targets for 44 yards in Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Eagles.
Analysis: For the first time since Taysom Hill replaced Drew Brees (ribs) under center, Kamara was featured heavily as a receiver, but he still fell short of 100 scrimmage yards for the sixth straight game. He could see high target volume again in Week 15, regardless of who's at quarterback, as the Saints host Patrick Mahomes and the high-octane Kansas City offense.
Kamara registered 88 rushing yards and one touchdown on 15 carries, adding two receptions for nine yards during Sunday's 21-16 win against Atlanta.
Analysis: Kamara's passing-game upside has been severely depleted without Drew Brees (ribs) available at quarterback, as he's now been held under 10 receiving yards in three consecutive games with Taysom Hill as the starter. A 37-yard run in the second-quarter helped spark Kamara's afternoon, while an 11-yard TD scamper at the 9:01 mark of the third quarter sealed a solid fantasy day from the three-time Pro Bowler. Even with the score, Kamara's recent fantasy production falls short of typical lofty heights. A Week 14 return for Brees seems possible, however, a welcomed announcement for those with investment in Kamara.
Kamara (foot) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
Analysis: After being listed as limited on the first two practice reports of Week 13, Kamara capped the week with a full session, paving the way for him to suit up Sunday. With Taysom Hill directing the offense in place of Drew Brees (ribs) the last two games, Kamara has been splitting the backfield reps with Latavius Murray, compiling 25 touches for 97 yards from scrimmage and one TD to the latter's 34-211-2 line. It'll be interesting if Kamara will be able to swing the pendulum in his favor this weekend.
Kamara (foot) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday.
Analysis: Kamara has put together back-to-back limited sessions as he continues to deal with a foot injury, an issue that has contained him to less than 50 percent of the offensive snaps over the last two games. During that span, he's totaled 25 touches for 97 yards from scrimmage and one TD, while Latavius Murray has gone off for 34-211-2, respectively. The breakdown between Kamara and Murray may be the Saints' reality until the former gets past his current health concern.
Kamara (foot) was listed as limited on Wednesday's practice report.
Analysis: Kamara continues to manage a foot injury, which has resulted in less than 50 percent of the snaps on offense in back-to-back games. He's totaled 25 touches for 97 yards from scrimmage and one TD during that stretch, while Latavius Murray has accounted for 34 touches, 211 total yards and two TDs. It remains to be seen when Kamara will regain the majority of RB snaps for the Saints, but his availability for game days doesn't seem to be in question.
Kamara registered 54 rushing yards on 11 carries, also hauling in one of two targets for minus-two receiving yards during Sunday's 31-3 win against the Broncos.
Analysis: New Orleans jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead, allowing coach Sean Payton the luxury of reducing his Pro-Bowl running back's workload. Kamara has averaged just 10.3 rush attempts per game over the past four weeks, with each contest resulting in a New Orleans win by at least 14 points. He's only had more than 13 carries in a game twice all season, granted, but his receiving production has certainly taken a hit the past two weeks. He has just one catch over a pair of Taysom Hill starts. With Drew Brees as his starting quarterback Weeks 1 through 10, Kamara averaged 7.4 receptions and 72 receiving yards per game. Possibly without Brees until Week 15, Kamara enters a Week 13 matchup against a Falcons defense that is tied for the third-most receiving TDs allowed to opposing backs (four).
Kamara (foot) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game in Denver.
Analysis: The Saints have limited Kamara's practice workloads while he deals with a foot injury, but there was never any question he'd be ready for Sunday. He had his worst fantasy performance of the season in Taysom Hill's first start at quarterback, but Kamara did still score a touchdown to avoid a total dud.
Kamara (foot) was listed as limited on Thursday's injury report.
Analysis: While Kamara has yet to elevate to full activity this week, there's not much worry about his availability for Sunday's game at Denver, whose defense has conceded 132.1 yards from scrimmage per game and eight touchdowns to running backs through 10 contests.
Kamara (foot) was limited at Wednesday's practice, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Analysis: For the third time in four weeks, the Saints are capping Kamara's practice reps in some form. During that three-game stretch, he tallied 42 touches for 192 yards and five touchdowns, bringing him to 12 scores in 10 contests this season. Kamara will aim to bump up to full participation by the end of the week.
Kamara registered 45 rushing yards and one touchdown on 13 carries, and he was unable to haul in his lone target during Sunday's 24-9 win against the Falcons.
Analysis: Kamara notched a three-yard TD run with 1:46 to go in the first half, but Tayson Hill sapped the running back's value by providing New Orleans' other two rushing scores on the afternoon -- both coming from inside Atlanta's 10-yard line. It will be worth monitoring the three-time Pro Bowler's passing-game involvement moving forward, as he had registered an incredible 7.4 receptions per game with Drew Brees (ribs) as his starting quarterback. Kamara remains an all-world talent, but the Saints are simply not operating the same offense with Hill under center. A foot injury also hampered Kamara during the practice week, providing an alternative explanation for his reduced workload. Next is a matchup against the Broncos, who have allowed just 45 receptions and one receiving TDs to opposing backs this season.
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