Who Should I Start? Devin Neal or Emmett Johnson

Thursday, July 16, 5:38 AM

A sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal found himself starting games late in the year for an injury-stricken Saints squad before he himself was put on injured reserve with a season-ending hamstring injury. Early in the offseason, there remained some hope that he could return to a fantasy-relevant role in his second season, but those hopes have since been all but dashed. The Saints spent big in free agency to acquire former first-round pick Travis Etienne Jr., and with veteran Alvin Kamara agreeing to a restructured deal to stick in New Orleans for at least one more season, few opportunities could remain for Neal, who will still need to beat out Kendre Miller and Audric Estime for the team's third running back spot. Ranked outside of RotoBaller's top 300 players, Neal is not a player who should factor into 2026 redraft plans, and outside of the deepest dynasty leagues, he is no longer a player who must be held through roster cuts.