Who Should I Start? Alvin Kamara or James Cook III

Thursday, July 16, 7:48 AM

The New Orleans Saints and veteran running back Alvin Kamara agreed to terms on a deal on Thursday that will pay him a base salary of $6 million for the 2026 season, with a chance to make $8.5 million with incentives, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. It's a win-win for both sides that almost certainly means that Kamara will finish his career in the Big Easy. It's not great news for new RB Travis Etienne Jr., but the former Jacksonville Jaguar will almost certainly take over RB1 duties in 2026 in his first year with the Saints after they signed him to a four-year, $52 million deal in free agency in March. Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler and dual threat out of the backfield, will surely see his volume decrease dramatically, but he could still be a flex play in point-per-reception fantasy football leagues in 2026 now that he's officially locked in to return to New Orleans. Durability has been a concern for the aging Kamara in recent seasons, but he's had at least 47 receptions in eight of his nine seasons, with the only exception coming in 2025 when he played in a career-low 11 games. Kamara should be the unquestioned No. 2 RB behind Etienne, mostly factoring in on passing downs in 2026.