The Saints are headed to Miami in Week 13 to take on the Dolphins in one of the 10 Sunday afternoon matchups after Thanksgiving. Veteran running back Alvin Kamara has been banged up all season, but if he misses this contest it could open up some interesting value plays for fantasy football. Devin Neal and Audric Estime would be the next two options on the depth chart, but how would the Saints’ handle his absence and would either backup be worth a look for fantasy football?
Let’s take a look at the latest update on Kamara and the outlook or both Neal and Estime against the Dolphins and moving forward for the rest of the season.
Alvin Kamara Injury Update
Kamara has been turning in limited practices for weeks with an ankle injury, but this week he was forced to leave the game against the Falcons with a knee injury after an awkward tackle. He was diagnosed with a sprained MCL.
Kamara could miss a couple of weeks with this injury, or he could opt to shut it down since at 2-9 the Saints are obviously not going anywhere this season. His timetable is very unclear, but it seems unlikely that he’ll play this week against Miami, which opens up plenty of opportunity for one of the younger players to step up while he’s recovering.
Devin Neal the Real Deal?
Everyone was scrambling for Devin Neal on waiver wires this week, since the rookie could take over in the backfield if Kamara misses time. Neal hadn’t looked great in his limited work before taking over after Kamara’s departure, but he did rush seven times for 18 yards and added five catches for 43 yards.
He played 90% of snaps after Kamara’s exit and showed some interesting potential.
Neal was a sixth-round pick out of Kansas, where he showed big-play ability as both a rusher and receiver:
Neal does have potential, but it isn’t clear how productive the Saints offense can be under rookie QB Tyler Shough. They’ve been inconsistent since he took over a few weeks ago, and haven’t scored 20 points since Week 5. It also doesn’t help him that Taysom Hill could get goal line and short yardage work
Could Audric Estime get Time?
Estime was a healthy inactive for Week 12, but he could figure into the mix if Kamara is ruled out. He hasn’t had a carry yet this year, but he was added to the active roster when Kendre Miller tore his ACL in mid-October.
Estime had 76 carries for 310 yards and two touchdowns last year with the Broncos, and his between-the-tackles, power-running style could be a nice complement to Neal’s shiftiness on the edges.
While it’s all speculation at this point, he’d likely be part of a committee if Kamara is out on Sunday.
The Bottom Line
The Dolphins have been one of the best matchups for running backs all year long, allowing seven touchdowns and an average of 113.3 rushing yards with 38.5 receiving yards per game to the position. If you grabbed Neal off of waivers for this week, he is worth a flier flex start in most formats if Kamara is out as expected. He’s high risk and touchdown-dependent, but there is definitely upside because of the matchup.
That matchup also makes him and Estime worth a look in one-week DFS contests like the NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] on DraftKings. Neal is only $5,000 and Estime is at the minimum running back salary of $4,000. Both have bargain potential with Neal the safer play due to his expected volume. If you opt to go cheap at one of your running back spots, Neal is one of the best plays in this price range, even though he’s very unproven.
