Who Should I Start? Alvin Kamara or Ashton Jeanty

Sunday, February 1, 6:46 AM

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is trending downward ahead of the 2026 NFL season. While Kamara is under contract for one more year with the Saints, he's losing his grasp on the New Orleans backfield due to his age, injury issues, and the emergence of younger teammates. Kamara was the overall RB46 in full-PPR leagues during the 2025 season, which was the first time he ever finished lower than RB16. While part of his slip can be attributed to Kamara missing six games, he also showcased reduced volume and effectiveness. He averaged fewer than 15 touches per game, he finished with a career-low 3.6 yards per carry, and he only scored one touchdown all year. He is now 30 years old and suffered a knee sprain in Week 12, so age and injuries may be catching up to him. He also faces more competition than ever, as Devin Neal (hamstring) and Kendre Miller (knee) both flashed the ability to occupy lead-back roles before landing on season-ending injured reserve. Trade rumors have circled around Kamara for several years, but he has indicated that he wants to remain a Saint for life. Now, it's a question of whether New Orleans wants to keep him on the books for 2026. This team is looking to get younger, and cutting Kamara post-June 1 would create $8.5 million in cap space.

Friday, January 30, 3:21 PM

Given his status as the number six overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, expectations were high for Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty coming into his rookie season. Despite having a miserable supporting cast around him in Las Vegas, the 22-year-old managed to rack up 1,321 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns on 321 touches. Still, he left a lot to be desired from an efficiency perspective. Jeanty averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and 4.1 yards per touch in 2025. Heading into 2026, the Raiders will have a new coaching staff and potentially a new quarterback in place, which could help to maximize Jeanty's talent. However, the team may struggle to completely overhaul its offensive line, which profiled as one of the league's worst this past season. Jeanty remains an ultra-high-upside fantasy running back in dynasty formats, but both he and his organization will enter 2026 with plenty to prove.