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Week 14 has arrived, and with that comes all sorts of injuries to deal with when setting fantasy football lineups. This is the final week of the regular season for most fantasy football leagues, so it's crunch time and making the correct start/sit decisions can be the difference between making the playoffs or not.
Let's check in on the injuries for the New Orleans Saints running backs and their Week 14 Sunday afternoon game against the New York Jets.
Is Alvin Kamara playing on Sunday? Should I start Alvin Kamara if he does play? How will Taysom Hill at quarterback impact Kamara? Below we take a quick look at the updated injury status for Kamara and attempt to answer these questions.
Is Alvin Kamara Playing In Week 14 Against the New York Jets?
Alvin Kamara has been dealing with both a knee injury and a hamstring injury, and has missed the last four weeks of games. But he was able to return to practice this week, and he has officially been removed from the injury report. Kamara will be active and make his return versus the Jets in Week 14:
"Full go" would seem to imply that Kamara should not be hampered by his injury. However, how much playing time will Kamara get, and does he have his usual upside while recovering from his injuries? Those are the big questions we need to answer.
Should I Start Alvin Kamara in Week 14 Against the Jets?
While Alvin Kamara will be active and available on Sunday, there are other updates to be aware of for the Saints running backs. Mark Ingram II has been filling in for Kamara as the starter, and would have been expected to compliment him in the backfield, but has been placed on the COVID list and will miss the Week 14 game:
Ty Montgomery has also been placed on the COVID-19 list, and will not be available in Week 14. This leaves Tony Jones Jr. as the backup running back, and he did not show much in his golden opportunity to be the featured running back in Week 12 against the Bills:
The competition for touches in the backfield is small, and Kamara should get plenty of work. However one concern for Kamara's fantasy outlook is in Taysom Hill. With Hill under center, Kamara has seen less work as a receiver, only averaging four targets per game with Hill at quarterback. A lot of that has to do with Hill's own value as a runner. When he is under duress or doesn't have his first or second read, Hill will often run the ball himself rather than dump off to a running back. So, while the threat of Hill running could open up additional running lanes for Kamara, especially on run-pass-options (RPOs), Hill under center will cap some of Kamara's receiving upside.
However, the Jets are the worst defense in the NFL when it comes to fantasy points allowed to running backs, averaging 27.7 points per game allowed to the position. Given New Orleans is a favorite, and the more talented team, Kamara should see the majority of the RB work and could get between 16-20 fantasy points in half-PPR scoring with upside for more. As a result, he is obviously a must-start if he is on your team, but he may not have the elite week-winning upside that we've come to know and love from him with Taysom Hill under center now.
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