"Kamara in 2025: Sleeper Value or Washed-Up Risk?"

   

When Alvin Kamara gets the rock, you know fireworks are coming. However, as we head into the 2025 fantasy football season, we’re left wondering just how high Kamara’s ceiling is and how far his floor might drop. The electric New Orleans Saints running back, who once dazzled fantasy managers as a dual-threat game-breaker, is approaching uncharted waters at 30 years old. But let’s not count him out just yet. Kamara has defied expectations before, and in the right scenario, he could flex his fantasy chops once again.

Alvin Kamara 2025 NFL Redraft Outlook: Still Old Reliable?

Alvin Kamara 2024 Stats and Fantasy Production

Kamara burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2017, racking up highlights and fantasy points like a seasoned vet. No one could touch him in PPR leagues, where his balance of rushing and receiving made him the ultimate cheat code. Four straight top-eight fantasy finishes set the tone for what many believed would be years of dominance. 

But in 2021, something changed. The Saints started using Kamara more as a workhorse rusher. The receptions dipped (47 catches compared to his career-high 83), and his efficiency followed suit, with his yards per carry dropping to a career-low 3.7. To his credit, Kamara fought through the offensive adjustments and still finished sixth in fantasy points per game that year. Teams couldn’t fully figure out how to contain him, even as he battled through these role shifts. 

Fast forward to now, and Kamara sits at a crossroads. His scoring potential has cooled off from his blazing early-career pace, yet his usage and presence on the field have remained critical to the Saints’ offense. What allowed him to remain fantasy-relevant despite a noticeable drop in efficiency? Volume, pure and simple. Over the past three seasons, Kamara averaged more than 15 carries and 4.7 receptions per contest. You give a player of Alvin Kamara’s caliber the ball that often, and good things happen. 

Alvin Kamara 2025 Fantasy Outlook

17. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints (2020) – 377.8 points

Enter Kellen Moore, the Saints’ newest head coach, with a history of not exactly spotlighting his running backs in the passing game. For fantasy managers, this raises all the alarms. If Moore’s tendency holds true, Kamara’s biggest strength as a pass-catching weapon could go underutilized. And that’s a problem. Kamara’s magic happens when he’s in space, weaving through defenders and turning screens into highlight-reel plays. Ask him to grind between the tackles 20 times a game? That’s less his style. 

Still, Moore has referred to Kamara as a “premier player” and reassured fans that he’ll be a pivotal piece of the 2025 offense. But with a young backfield featuring 23-year-old Kendre Miller and newly drafted Devin Neal competing for snaps, Kamara will need to fend off challengers while proving age hasn’t dulled his burst. 

Here’s where the plot thickens. If Kamara’s touches are scaled back slightly but remain purposeful, he could actually get a boost in efficiency. Moore’s high-tempo offensive systems have historically churned out more plays per game, creating opportunities for chunk plays. Imagine Kamara’s fantasy upside if used strategically instead of running into the ground. 

 

Kamara’s vision and elusiveness are well-documented, but even he needs help upfront. This season, the Saints’ offensive line is shaping up nicely. Center Erik McCoy is a run-blocking anchor when healthy, and rookie Kelvin Banks Jr. is projected to bolster the interior. If the line can stay consistent and create lanes, expect Kamara to capitalize in ways he couldn’t during last year’s injury-marred front.

Fantasy managers drafting Kamara need to weigh a blend of cautious optimism and tempered expectations. On paper, he has all the tools to shine. With an ADP hovering in the RB11-20 range, Kamara offers mid-tier RB2 value with upside for more. He’s not the lock-in fantasy stud we saw in his glory days, but he’s still among the most reliable backs in that draft zone if you’re seeking solid floor production. Keep an eye on preseason reports regarding his role, and consider targeting him as an RB2/flex option in PPR leagues. 

Kamara isn’t the flashiest pick anymore. He’s the veteran who grinds it out, still capable of hitting those high notes when the stars align. And maybe, just maybe, this season’s changes will be exactly what Kamara needs to reintroduce some of that old magic.