Kendre

Miller

Miller’s season ends with a 47-193-1 rushing line to go with five receptions for 30 additional yards. The third-year back was carving out a small role in Kellen Moore’s offense, earning 6.3 touches per game while averaging a career best 4.1 YPC. Miller, who was drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, will enter next season on the final year of his rookie contract in what will be a prove-it season.

Miller injured his knee in the second quarter but was able to walk into the locker room under his own power. He will not return to the game, but the Saints will hope that the injury isn’t serious. Miller finished the day with one carry for seven yards. Expect some more work for Devin Neal and also Taysom Hill.

Jarrett, who has been battling a knee injury, was said to be likely to suit up on Sunday, but that will not be the case. With the weather making this likely to be a run-heavy game, Jarrett being out is a slight bump for Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller.

Miller added one grab for 11 yards on his lone target. The third-year back continued to cut into Alvin Kamara’s workload, but a 1B role between the tackles isn’t worth much on a team like the Saints. Miller has at least nine touches in each of his past four games but has posted just one usable fantasy week over that stretch. He is more of a thorn in the side of Kamara managers than a standalone fantasy bet heading into Week 7 against the Bears.

It appears as though the committee approach that emerged last week against the Bills was not a fluke. The Saints were winning for the entirety of the second half, so the team could lean on Miller, who is proving to be more effective between the tackles than Alvin Kamara. Still, Kamara saw only two fewer carries than Miller and had six targets in the passing game, so he is still playing the more fantasy-friendly role. Further complicating things is that Taysom Hill had six carries and was used as the primary rusher with the Saints trying to run out the clock. Miller is worth an add in most formats, but he’s not yet in a super fantasy-friendly role.

Miller scored the Saints’ first touchdown of the game, breaking three tackles en route to a 15-yard rush. The Saints ran well on the Bills throughout the game, but Miller looked more explosive than Alvin Kamara and ripped off chunk gains through the middle of the defense. With the Saints now 0-4, one has to wonder whether they will continue to try to get Miller more involved or perhaps even consider trading Kamara later in the season. Miller is a decent stash in most formats right now.

Miller also returned eight kickoffs for 182 yards. Miller’s hamstrings are holding up nicely, and Alvin Kamara ran very inefficiently against the Seahawks today. While Miller offers little standalone value, his role as the Saints’ No. 2 running back is secure. He’s a high-upside bench stash. It’s possible the Saints send Kamara packing before the trade deadline, in a lost season.

Miller operated as the backup running back to Alvin Kamara, seeing five carries against the Cardinals. He was in the doghouse during Dennis Allen’s years as head coach, but now looks to be involved in Kellen Moore’s gameplan. He showed burst on his 10-yard carry and was breaking tackles throughout. Miller doesn’t have enough of a role for standalone value yet, but could be in line for a decent workload in the event of an Alvin Kamara injury. Third-string rookie Devin Neal saw two carries for nine yards on the day.

Moore has talked up Kamara all offseason so this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. His backups are currently rookie Devin Neal and third-year back Kendre Miller. Neither back generated much buzz in training camp and fantasy managers should expect both to be used sparingly to start the year. Kamara will likely open the year as a top-five fantasy back. Whether he can sustain that production down the stretch is another question, but that’s a problem for another week.

Miller played 5-of-5 snaps on the first drive, critically remaining on-field for third down. Ultimately, he and Cam Akers split first-team snaps 14-to-7, with Akers playing the remaining four third downs. Miller is astonishingly credited with five missed tackles forced. Akers rushed twice for two yards and caught 3-of-3 targets for 11 yards. Both players profile as backups behind Alvin Kamara this year, assuming they make the roster.