Who Should I Start? Alvin Kamara or Nick Chubb

Friday, January 2, 3:42 PM

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle) has been ruled out for his team's Week 18 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, per ESPN's Katherine Terrell. Kamara suffered a sprained MCL in Week 12 that will ultimately end up causing him to miss New Orleans' final six games of the season. Across 11 contests in 2025, the 30-year-old recorded 657 scrimmage yards and one touchdown on 164 touches. His 3.6 yards per carry and 4.0 yards per touch both represent career lows. With Kamara sidelined and Saints backs Kendre Miller (knee) and Devin Neal (hamstring) on Injured Reserve, New Orleans will likely split backfield work between Audric Estime and Evan Hull in Week 18, with tight end Taysom Hill possibly mixing in as well. Estime functioned as the team's lead back in Week 17, recording 14 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.

Friday, December 26, 8:44 AM

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb has been a regular part of the team's running back rotation this season, but his role in Week 17 against the Chargers is a little murky. Woody Marks is ready to return from an ankle injury after missing Week 16, and Jawhar Jordan had a nice breakout while Marks was injured. With both Marks and Jordan in the mix this week, carries could be hard to come by for Chubb. He could still be utilized as a short-yardage specialist since he is an effective between-the-tackles option, but he doesn't have the explosiveness he showcased earlier in his career. He'll be a touchdown-dependent flex long shot this week in a tough matchup, and he's only the No. 53 RB in RotoBaller's rankings, making him best left on the bench or waiver wire if possible this week.