Who Should I Start? Alvin Kamara or Tony Pollard

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.

Saturday, December 27, 9:21 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard is in the middle of a strong stretch of play. Pollard has rushed for over 100 yards in three straight games. During that span, Pollard has totaled 367 yards with three touchdowns. He'll look to keep the good times rolling against the New Orleans Saints in Week 17. A defense that has allowed the seventh-most rushing yards to running backs this season. The only downside is that Pollard is expected to continue splitting the carries with Tyjae Spears. Given Pollard's success, he figures to continue getting plenty of chances. Fantasy managers should consider Pollard a low-end RB2 for this favorable Week 17 matchup.