It’s firmly a rebuilding year for the New Orleans Saints. They have a new coach, plenty of new players on the roster, and a quarterback to build up in Spencer Rattler. But there remain some holdouts from their old era, including former superstar Alvin Kamara. Even at 30 years old, he’s still chugging and is the running back to own in the Bayou. But can his backup, Kendre Miller, hold a standalone flex role alongside Kamara?
Analysis
Miller was a third-round pick in the 2023 draft, and for a time, it looked as if he’d never find a role behind Kamara. He continues to define the aging curve for running backs. But with the Saints in full rebuild mode, they’re starting to work Miller into the offense on a consistent basis.
So far this season, Kamara has out-carried Miller 83-46. It’s a respectable balance. Kamara still dominates the passing game, out-targeting Miller 26-5 so far. Miller does get a fair bit of work in the red zone, but that’s only resulted in one rushing touchdown on the year. The bump in usage is promising for Miller’s future in New Orleans, but it’s unclear if that will translate to value now.
The verdict
If the Saints suddenly discovered a way to get into the red zone consistently, Miller may be a candidate for flex value. But without a consistent goal line presence, it’s a difficult proposition. Eight to 10 carries and 1-2 targets per game in a subpar offense isn’t enough to sustain value.
But it’s essential to keep a few things in mind. One, Kamara is 30, and has missed a total of 17 games over his eight-year career. He’s had at least one absence per year in the last seven years. He’s bound to miss a game or two down the stretch this season.
There’s also the trade deadline to consider. With the Saints far from being a playoff team, they may consider trading Kamara in the next few weeks. That could give Miller the RB1 job and catapult him into RB2 territory. He’s not at starting territory yet, but he’s bound to get his chance later in the season, one way or another.
