RB #14 Alvin Kamara NO

The New Orleans Saints will once again ask Alvin Kamara to shoulder most of the offensive production. Any team entering the last week of the preseason without a designated starting quarterback, is in a bad spot. That situation can lead to uncertainty during the season, and delay rhythm. The rhythm that quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and wide receivers need to be successful. This is a good thing for Kamara’s numbers though.

He is able to earn points via the ground game, and will be given the ball more. He has 6,779 rushing yards and 60 rushing touchdowns. Last year with a bad quarterback he rushed the second most times of his career, 228. Yet Kamara is a great three down back, and has long been heralded for his pass catching ability. He has five seasons with 68 or more receptions, earned his third highest receiving yard total (543), and earned 8.0 yards per reception last year.

Of Kamara’s 641 snaps in 2024, 90 were either in the slot or split out wide. He is more than a decoy, or a player in motion to figure out the coverage. He is a legitimate receiver. His career high is 83 receptions on 107 targets in 2020. He has an opportunity to exceed those number this season. Kamara is the hub of everything the Saints do offensively, and a high volume season is on deck for him. Draft him early and have a back that excels in PPR formats.

LB #14 Daiyan Henley LAC

Daiyan Henley is a surprise for some, but not for Los Angeles Chargers fans, nor IDP junkies. He is an outstanding linebacker that wears the all-important “green dot” for the Chargers defense. The 2023 third round pick bust onto the scene last year, and took over as the leader. He started all 17 games, earned 147 combined tackles, 8 passes defended, 3 quarterback hits, 1 sack, and 1 interception.

Henley played 1,162 snaps in 2024, including EVERY form of special teams. Still 840 of those snaps came in the box as an interior linebacker. Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter displays his faith in Henley with 87 snaps as a slot corner, 64 as a defensive linemen, and 2 as wide corner (probably man coverage with motion). Look for the special teams snaps to take a dip, but for Henley to be on the field for every defensive snap. Something invaluable for an IDP in fantasy football.

If playing with IDP heads or Chargers fans, it’s wise to bump up Henley’s ranking. In general it is wise to have him high on the rankings as he could finish a top five linebacker.

Come back tomorrow as we break down RB and LB #13. Subscribe to The Sports Affiliation for this and other articles sent directly to your email.

– Bet Smart, Be Lucky – Iggy