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Alvin Kamara 2021 Outlook: No Brees, (Probably) No Problem
4 years agoThe New Orleans Saints will look a lot different in 2021, with quarterback Drew Brees retired and Jameis Winston expected to start under center. One thing should remain the same, though, which is that running back Alvin Kamara will play an important role on this team. Sure, his splits last season in the four games he played without Brees weren't great, but the biggest reason for that was that the Saints started Taysom Hill at quarterback, something that radically changed the offense and led to Kamara averaging just 14.2 PPR points per game in those four contests as opposed to 29.23 in the other 11 games. The biggest reason for that change in production was that with Brees out, Kamara saw about half as many targets per game. But in 2019, Winston targeted his running backs 109 times, which assuages a lot of our concerns about Kamara's receiving game role. Kamara had 21 touchdowns last season, with a career-high 1,688 yards from scrimmage even with that four-game Hill sample dragging his numbers down. Without any elite weapons on this offense beyond Michael Thomas, Kamara should be relied on more than ever, making him a strong pick in the latter half of the first round in all fantasy formats.
