Who Should I Start? Alvin Kamara or David Montgomery

Thursday, December 25, 8:56 PM

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle) was an estimated non-participant in Thursday's practice as the Saints prepare to face the Tennessee Titans. Kamara suffered a knee injury and an ankle injury on an ugly hip-drop tackle in Week 12, which has caused him to miss the previous four games. With Kamara not practicing on Wednesday or Thursday, he seems unlikely to play in Week 17, and at this point, with the postseason out of play, he is unlikely to play in Week 18 as well. With Kendre Miller (ACL) and Devin Neal (hamstring) on the season-ending injured reserve list, the Saints will rely on Audric Estime, Evan Hull, and veteran tight end Taysom Hill to carry the workload against the Titans. Last week, Hill led the team in carries with 12, and with Kamara trending toward another absence in Week 17, he should be a must-start TE against the Titans.

Thursday, December 25, 3:30 PM

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (illness) will be active for Thursday's road bout with the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day, per the team. The veteran appeared on Detroit's practice report on Tuesday, missing the session due to illness. After logging a limited practice on Wednesday, it would seem Montgomery will be able to play anyway, and figures to assume his typical allotment of snaps behind teammate Jahmyr Gibbs as the Lions attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive. Notably, the seventh-year pro has seen his snap count steadily dwindle since Week 11, dropping under 20 plays in each of his last three appearances, compared with just once over the season's first 13 weeks. Correlatively, he'll offer little more than flex appeal with Gibbs dominating time and touches in the backfield.