For a team with a new coaching staff, there are still plenty of familiar faces on the New Orleans Saints this season.
Yes, they have a new quarterback project in second round rookie Tyler Shough, and they do have a brand new, first time head coach in Kellen Moore. But old friends such as Spencer Rattler, Chris Olave, and Alvin Kamara remain.
So where on the roster is there room for a fantasy sleeper? Look no further than the running backs room, although maybe not to the player many would expect. The position group includes Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara, 2023 third round pick Kendre Miller, and 2025 sixth rounder Devin Neal.
Kamara has had a long, successful career with the Saints and was rewarded with a two-year, $24.5 million extension last October. And while he just set a career high in rushing yards with 950 in 2024, he’s entering his age 30 season.
His age, combined with a likely desire by the team to protect their investment in him, opens the door for another running back on the team to take a larger than expected role.
For the past two years, it was assumed that Miller would be the one to take advantage of that opportunity. Yes, the team had Jamaal Williams on the roster as well, but the expectation was that Miller would offer a more explosive element than Williams could provide.
However, Miller has missed 20 of a possible 34 games to start his career.
It’s also important to remember that the current coaching staff is not the one that drafted Miller.
Yes, Mickey Loomis remains in the front office, but new coaching staffs typically have less loyalty to holdovers from the previous staff than their own guys. And of note, this staff drafted their own running back prospect back in April.
Devin Neal, the rookie from Kansas, offers something that Miller so far has not: durability. Having never played less than 11 games in his four year career, he’s also an underrated receiver, catching at least 21 passes the last three seasons.
However, he excels more as a between the tackles thumper, running with power and authority while thriving in short yardage situations. That could potentially lead to goal line opportunities, something sure to catch the attention of fantasy owners.
From a fantasy perspective, it’s hard to get excited about what’s expected to be a subpar offense. The Saints have many of the usual suspects from what has been an underwhelming team, and finding a sleeper is never easy in such a situation.
However, if there’s one to be found, it’s likely to be the backup for the 30 year old running back. Just make sure you grab the right one, and that’s more likely to be the durable rookie that the current staff drafted than the oft injured hold over.