One of the essential truths of fantasy, applicable to all sports, is that we eventually get bored of players who are reliable, predictable, and relentlessly great. We can’t wait to move on to next big thing, even when the previous big thing remains dominant.
Invariably, the best value picks in any draft are the bankable veteran stars who are still performing at or near their peak.
With this in mind, I would like to draw your attention to an ADP situation that seems like pure theft.
Alvin Kamara finished as an overall RB5 per game last year and has been one of the most stable fantasy producers in the current era, however, early drafts made him the RB17 in medium PPR formats. It’s also absolutely buried in our 2024 rankings. High-risk players have banished him to the Dead Zone.. It’s wild.
In case you somehow missed it, Kamara actually finished second among all running backs in receptions (75) and targets (86) last season, despite missing four games (three of which were for suspension). He averaged 89.2 yards from scrimmage per game, made six home visits and caught 87.2% of his targets, the best mark of his career.
At 28, Kamara was still definitely capable of producing weekly highlights:
Whatever your opinion of Derek Carr at this stage (probably not favorable), at least the man recognized the completion percentage cheat code that was suddenly available to him.
New Orleans didn’t make any significant upgrades to the running back roster during the offseason, so we can feel confident about Kamara’s role in 2024. With apologies to Kendre Miller and her fans, the second-year running back hasn’t done Kamara ( either the charming Jamaal Williams) dispensable for the moment. The hierarchy in the Saints backfield remains unchanged.
Klint Kubiak took over as New Orleans’ OC after spending last year as the Niners’ passing game coordinator, working under Kyle Shanahan. Kamara has been complimentary about his team’s new system, which shouldn’t surprise anyone because the vibes are generally good between the Kubiaks and the riders. Klint last served as offensive coordinator with the Vikings in 2021, a season in which Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison combined for 2,102 yards from scrimmage, 10 TDs and 66 receptions.
Aside from age, it’s honestly hard to find a reason to actively fade Kamara. And yet many of you clearly are doing it. He showed no obvious signs of decline last year (once again, he was a top-five scorer in terms of production per game) and is not at any unusual risk of injury next season. In fact, his medical record is as clean as any you’ll find in a corridor in any age or mileage.
Kamara is currently involved in some slight contract posturing, but up to this point it’s been one of the warmest looks in recent memory. We don’t have a Le’Veon Bell situation developing. Kamara hasn’t given us any reason to panic about her availability.
If the editors are still getting such a steep discount on issue #41 when we get to August, it will be the result of a catastrophic failure on the part of the fantasy community. It should be a goal, not a fade. Kamara may be a household name, but we should never get bored of his level of productivity.