Who Should I Start? Alvin Kamara or Kaleb Johnson

Saturday, September 6, 10:26 AM

It's no surprise that New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is locked in as the Saints' lead back ahead of Kendre Miller and rookie Devin Neal. Despite coaching changes, offensive line struggles, and shaky quarterback play, Kamara has averaged over 1,440 total yards and 10 touchdowns per season across eight years. The Saints' offense is likely to run through him, with Kamara handling the bulk of carries and seeing heavy involvement in the passing game. At 30, he enters the "dreaded" age for running backs, and it remains to be seen if his production as a pass-catcher will start to decline. With second-year QB Spencer Rattler under center, the offense as a whole is questionable, but Kamara profiles as a high-upside RB2 for Week 1 against the Cardinals.

Friday, September 5, 6:33 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson will make his regular-season NFL debut against the New York Jets in Week 1. A third-round pick in April's draft, Johnson has plenty of potential, especially in a Steelers offense that has ranked top-10 in rush attempts in each of the past three seasons. That said, it's unclear just how much of a role Johnson will have early on. Head coach Mike Tomlin recently labeled Jaylen Warren the team's "featured runner", and veteran Kenneth Gainwell currently sits ahead of Johnson on the depth chart. With Sunday's contest expected to be low-scoring, there is no reason to force Johnson into starting lineups. He should remain rostered in all formats, but fantasy managers would be wise to take a wait-and-see approach with Johnson.