Beat: Kamara (knee) won’t have huge role if active

Kamara was limited throughout practice last week and was ruled out with inactives. Moore said today that he could have played but needed more time on task, implying that limited preparation was the larger issue, not Kamara’s health. Travis Etienne split work with Kendre Miller last week. Kamara will presumably take on Miller’s role as the backup, though he could also eat into Etienne’s target total. Etienne caught seven balls in his Saints debut. If he loses that work, Etienne could fall out of the RB2 ranks entirely.

Miller operated as Travis Etienne’s backup with Alvin Kamara out this week and managed to steal a red zone touchdown. He surprisingly drew Etienne to a carries standstill at nine apiece. Etienne, however, saw nine targets. Miller was not targeted. Miller will be a thorn in the side of Etienne backers as long as Kamara is out, but he doesn’t have much standalone value headed into Week 2.

Etienne was taken off the field a surprising amount, ceding nine carries to Kendre Miller and another two to CJ Donaldson. Donaldson also logged two targets. While his role on the ground was concerning for fantasy managers, a nine-target outing cushioned the blow slightly. In PPR leagues, Etienne did enough. Unless the Saints are going to play in overtime shootouts every week, Etienne will need to take on more rushing work to be a weekly RB2. With Alvin Kamara potentially returning next week, Etienne will sit on the RB2/3 border for his date with the Ravens.

Kamara practiced in full this week, but the Saints are going to give him at least seven more days to get fully healthy. Kendre Miller will back up Travis Etienne. Also inactive for the Saints are TE Oscar Delp, QB Zach Wilson, OL Mason Murphy, EDGE Cameron Jordan, DL John Ridgeway III, and DL Khristian Boyd.

Kamara practiced in full on Friday but was still listed as questionable for Week 1. It doesn’t sound like there are any immediate concerns with the knee issue, but rather the team wants to ease him back into action with another week of practice. Kendre Miller will serve as the team’s RB2 for this game.

Kamara logged two limited sessions to begin the week, and New Orleans Football’s Nick Underhill said he thinks Kamara will play, barring a setback. We do not yet know Kamara’s practice participation level on Friday, but he is traveling with the team, which is a good sign. Kamara would be a PPR FLEX if active. He is expected to play on passing downs while starting RB Travis Etienne leads the team in carries. Etienne is the best bet to handle the primary red zone role, but Kamara has been a prolific touchdown scorer over his career and could factor in. The Saints ruled out RB Audric Estime (thigh).

The Saints’ presumed passing down specialist is on track to play. Kamara sprained an MCL on August 18th, but the rehab is evidently going well. It is unclear whether Kamara could rotate in when the offense enters scoring position. Consider him a PPR FLEX option.

Underhill did note that Kamara needs to make it to Sunday without any setbacks. He was limited in practice on Wednesday after suffering an MCL injury during a training camp scrimmage. The initial timeline for his return would have seen him miss multiple weeks of the regular season, but Kamara is well ahead of schedule in his recovery. He will likely serve as a passing-downs specialist with Travis Etienne handling the bulk of the carries.

Kamara suffered an MCL injury during a scrimmage three weeks ago. The issue was initially expected to sideline him for at least a month, but it looks like he has a shot at significantly beating that timeline. Even if he doesn’t play this week, there’s a good chance Kamara is back by Week 2 or 3. He will be a low-end FLEX play in PPR leagues once he is healthy.

Miller left practice early under his own power Tuesday, an all-too-familiar picture for the oft-injured back coming off an ACL tear from last October. However, Underhill reports it is a minor issue for the 24-year-old. With Alvin Kamara (knee) missing time, Miller has seen a lot of preseason work. Miller, when healthy, can be the Saints’ RB2 and primary handcuff to Travis Etienne.