Who Should I Start? Alexander Mattison or Devin Neal

Tuesday, March 31, 6:13 AM

New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal (hamstring) entered this offseason as one of the most appealing risers in dynasty fantasy football leagues. However, the Saints' unexpected decision to sign Travis Etienne Jr. shook up their backfield, and now, it looks like Neal could be ticketed for the third-string role. In addition to the Etienne signing, it was recently reported that the Saints don't plan to trade Alvin Kamara. He previously expressed his desire to remain in New Orleans for the rest of his career, even threatening retirement if he were traded. Therefore, it looks like both Etienne and Kamara will be ahead of Neal, who had 163 rushing yards, 10 catches, 83 receiving yards, and two touchdowns from Week 12-15 as a rookie last season. There's clearly talent and production there, but his lack of a track record in the NFL will leave him third in the pecking order behind the two veterans. Backfield injuries could open the door for Neal to be a decent handcuff, but otherwise, he has a very difficult path to fantasy relevance.