Alvin Kamara is coming off a very disappointing performance in Week 7 and was a victim of the circumstances surrounding the New Orleans Saints’ offense. Against one of the NFL’s top defenses in the Denver Broncos, the Saints were without QB Derek Carr, TE Taysom Hill, and WRs Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
That New Orleans lost 33-10 tells you something about the game script, and Kamara came away with 5.40 points in HPPR leagues. Week 8 sees one of those pieces back, as Olave is set to play, however, with Carr not expected to return, the game against the Los Angeles Chargers could take a similar shape to the one against Denver.
Kamara is a risky pick for this game, but in reality, there are very few RBs with his potential upside. Presuming the Saints’ offense is slightly more effective against a decent but not elite defense, Kamara should be in for a better day and presents at worst a good floor.
Also read: Fantasy Football Week 8 Defense Rankings & Streamers ft. Chargers, Lions & Falcons
What numbers to expect from Alvin Kamara vs. Chargers?
Part of Alvin Kamara’s poor outing vs. Denver was that although he caught 6 passes, he only gained 14 yards. It seems very unlikely that the Chargers will be able to apply such a hold on Kamara in both rushing and passing games, so Kamara will have a healthy floor again. If the Saints can get going on offense, expect a big day for their RB1, but if they struggle it could be a similar case of marginal gains and a shot at a TD.
Alvin Kamara’s point range: 5-23.50; Prediction: 13.5
Kamara enters Week 8 with a Q, but he is expected to suit up and play through what sounds like a painful injury.
Alvin Kamara Injury Update
After signing a two-year, 24.5 million contract extension, the topic of Kamara’s hand injury came up, and the RB has been playing through a broken hand since Week 5. Kamara told reporters:
“The reality of this league is nobody is 100 percent,” Kamara said. “If you’re 100 percent, you might be Superman or something and need a drug test. Nobody is 100 percent in this league, so it’s a race every week to get back to that. As long as I feel like I can protect myself on the field, I’m going to go.”