Alvin Kamara
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 16
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 16 Following last week’s blowout between two sub-.500 teams, Week 16 offers a pairing of NFC playoff contenders. The Rams and Saints enter this game at 7-7 and in the thick of the playoff picture. […]
Following last week’s blowout between two sub-.500 teams, Week 16 offers a pairing of NFC playoff contenders. The Rams and Saints enter this game at 7-7 and in the thick of the playoff picture. FullTime Fantasy’s Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 16 breaks down what is a must-win game for both teams.
The visiting Saints have won two straight and are tied for the NFC South lead. At +42, New Orleans has the fourth-best points differential in the conference. However, they must contend with traveling on a short week to face an LA squad that has won three consecutive games at home.
Additionally, Los Angeles has averaged 33 points per game in their last four. This Rams offense is now healthy and will pose problems for a New Orleans defense that has struggled when facing teams that are capable of moving the ball up and down the field.
The game opened with the Rams being favored by 4.5 points with a total of 44.5.
Matchup
TEAM | OFFENSE | PASS | RUSH | YDS/PLAY | POINTS |
New Orleans Saints | 14 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 12 |
Los Angeles Rams | 8 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 9 |
On paper, these two teams are more evenly matched than it seems. However, the Saints have an edge defensively. At least they did until recently. The Saints pass rush has slowed and the team has dipped to 24th in run defense.
Meanwhile, the Rams have had issues defending the run. However, the return of Kryen Williams has had a significant impact on the team’s offensive resurgence. Also, in the last five games, Matthew Stafford is the overall fantasy QB5.
For this game, the Saints are looking at their own significant addition with ace No. 1 wideout Chris Olave returning after a 1-game absence.
This is the first away game for New Orleans since dropping a 24-15 game to the Falcons in Week 12. Meanwhile, the Rams have been thriving at home and have not lost to the Saints as hosts since 2009.
How will Thursday’s Saints vs. Rams game go?
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Week 13 DFS: Running Back Report
Week 13 DFS: Running Back Report The winning running back ticket landed on Kyren Williams (38.40 fantasy points) in Week 13. Christian McCaffrey (30.90) finished with the runner-up prize, followed by Bijan Robinson (27.30) and Isiah Pacheco (25.90). Seven other […]
Week 13 DFS: Running Back Report
The winning running back ticket landed on Kyren Williams (38.40 fantasy points) in Week 13. Christian McCaffrey (30.90) finished with the runner-up prize, followed by Bijan Robinson (27.30) and Isiah Pacheco (25.90). Seven other running backs scored between 20.00 and 22.50 fantasy points. Here are the top five running backs by scoring average after 12 weeks:
- Christian McCaffrey (24.98)
- Raheem Mostert (18.48)
- Travis Etienne (17.44)
- Rachaad White (14.94)
- Josh Jacobs (14.61)
Also, check out FullTime Fantasy‘s Week 13 DFS QB Report and TE Report.
Top Tier Options
Christian McCaffrey, SF (DK – $9,000/FD – $9,800)
Even with his second-best fantasy game (30.90) in Week 12, McCaffrey didn’t score high enough to fill his current salary bucket. He has a floor of 20.00 fantasy points over the past five weeks, averaging 21.6 touches. The 49ers have had him on the field for 76% of their plays or more over his last five starts. His best showing (20/106/3 with seven catches for 71 yards and one touchdown) of the year came in Week 4. Last year, McCaffrey gained 106 combined yards with one touchdown and four catches against the Eagles.
Philadelphia has the best defense in the NFL vs. running backs (15.63 FPPG). They allow 4.1 yards per rush, with backs scoring only two touchdowns. Kansas City (30/168) and Buffalo (40/173/2) ran the ball well against them over the past two weeks, but 119 yards (34.9%) came from the quarterback position. Running backs have 58 catches for 359 yards on 75 targets.
McCaffrey doesn’t have the best matchup. The 49ers will ride him early and often in this game, with an uptick of value in the passing game should be expected. He needs multiple touchdowns and at least one big play to be in the mix in Week 13.
Alvin Kamara, NO (DK – $8,200/FD – $8,300)
The fun and excitement of Kamara left the building over the last three weeks. His regression in stats over this span came from…
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Week 9 DFS: Running Back Report
Week 9 DFS: Running Back Report Jahmyr Gibbs (29.90 fantasy points) was the highest-scoring running back in Week 8 in PPR formats, coming on the heels of another top-showing (11/68/1 with nine catches for 58 yards). Christian McCaffrey (29.80) and […]
Jahmyr Gibbs (29.90 fantasy points) was the highest-scoring running back in Week 8 in PPR formats, coming on the heels of another top-showing (11/68/1 with nine catches for 58 yards). Christian McCaffrey (29.80) and Gus Edwards (29.40) filled out the running back trifecta. Five other running backs scored more than 20.00 fantasy points. Alvin Kamara (24.57) and Travis Etienne (23.97) averaged the most fantasy points per game in PPR formats over the past three weeks. Here are the top five running backs by scoring average over the first eight weeks:
- Christian McCaffrey (25.30)
- Travis Etienne (20.49)
- Raheem Mostert (19.64)
- Kenneth Walker (16.09)
- Zack Moss (15.65)
Also, check out FullTime Fantasy‘s Week 9 DFS QB Report and TE Report.
Top-Tier Options
Alvin Kamara, NO (DK – $8,100/FD – $9,200)
The excellent opportunity continued in Week 8 for Kamara. He gained 110 combined yards with two touchdowns and four catches on 21 touches against the Colts. The Saints gave him the ball 125 times over his first five starts, leading to 110 yards and 7.8 catches per game. Taysom Hill sniped three rushing touchdowns over the past two weeks while also stealing 14 rushes for 81 yards.
Chicago ranks 27th in running back defense (25.54 FPPG), with most of their struggles coming over the first three games (34.50, 23.20, and 46.30 fantasy points). The Bears continue to play well vs. the run (193/630/4 – 3.3 yards per carry), but backs have 48 catches for 497 yards and five touchdowns on 61 targets.
Kamara holds his floor in most weeks due to his value in the passing game. His rising salary requires more than 32.00 fantasy points at DraftKings, but he can’t reach that level without at least one long play and a touchdown. New Orleans will get Jamaal Williams involved, and Hill has been stealing away his explosiveness. Playing well, and the Saints’ offense should score in this game.
Saquon Barkley, NYG (DK – $7,900/FD – $8,600)
The Giants’ offense has been dismal in seven of the eight games, leading them averaging only 11.9 points per game. Over the last three weeks, Barkley has been a big part of New York’s game plan (81/298 with 19 catches for 46 yards and one touchdown on 91 touches). Daniel Jones returns this week, along with LT Andrew Thomas, breathing life into all offensive players for the Giants. Barkley posted one playable game (27.20 fantasy points) in Week 2.
Las Vegas fell to 29th in running back defense (27.34 FPPG) after struggling over the past three weeks (31.80, 40.80, and 38.50 fantasy points). The Raiders allow 4.5 yards per rush, with backs scoring 11 touchdowns. Over the past two games, Chicago and Detroit rushed for 395 yards with three touchdowns. Running backs have 42 catches for 267 yards and one score on 56 targets.
With Daniel Jones back in the starting lineup, Barkley will see…
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Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 7
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 7 Last week’s Thursday Night game was a disappointment. With just 27 points scored, the Chiefs/Broncos snooze fest set the template for UNDERS going 11-3 in Week 7. Consequently, Week 7 opens with an intra-conference […]
Last week’s Thursday Night game was a disappointment. With just 27 points scored, the Chiefs/Broncos snooze fest set the template for UNDERS going 11-3 in Week 7. Consequently, Week 7 opens with an intra-conference battle that opened at a lowly 42.5 and dropped. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 7 breaks down the Saints/Jaguars game from a fantasy, DFS, and sports betting lens.
Doug Pederson’s Jaguars have won three straight after an embarrassing home loss to the Houston Texans. That included a pair of victories in London. Jacksonville is 2-0 on the road. However, few teams have as strong of a home-field advantage as the New Orleans Saints.
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Speaking of the Saints, Dennis Allen’s squad is 3-3 after they too were defeated by Houston. However, that loss came on the road and was much more competitive. New Orleans has scored 20 or fewer points in five of their six games, and looking at the depressed total, it could be another low-scoring Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 7 game to handicap.
Subsequently, the Saints are mere 1-point favorites, with an implied game score of 21-19.
Matchup
TEAM | OFFENSE | PASS | RUSH | YDS/PLAY | POINTS |
Jacksonville Jaguars | 12 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 10 |
New Orleans Saints | 17 | 15 | 23 | 26 | 24 |
Unsurprisingly, Pederson’s Jaguars squad has been better offensively. Jacksonville is averaging 23.7 points per game, which is just behind the Chiefs. The Jags also hold an edge at every skill position, making them the more fantasy-friendly roster.
However, Jacksonville’s offensive line has struggled. The Jaguars have allowed Trevor Lawrence to be sacked 16 times and face too many pressures. Lawrence has only 2.46 seconds to throw the ball, which is the second-lowest time in football. That has resulted in him ranking 26th with a -1.2 completion rate over expectation.
Meanwhile, the Saints rank 6th in total defense. Derek Carr has been serviceable under center. However, Carr has thrown only five touchdown passes and the Saints rank 24th in scoring. Carr also has the fewest rushing yards among any NFL quarterback that has started multiple games.
Scoring will be at a premium.
Jacksonville Offense
As mentioned above, some of Trevor Lawrence‘s…
How will Thursday’s Jaguars vs. Saints game go?
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Week 5 NFL Player Props
Week 5 NFL Player Props Week 4 was an interesting one from a prop betting perspective. After starting the season 10-4, last week was the first time this season that we didn’t hit over 50% of our prop bets. Fortunately, […]
Week 5 NFL Player Props
Week 4 was an interesting one from a prop betting perspective. After starting the season 10-4, last week was the first time this season that we didn’t hit over 50% of our prop bets. Fortunately, since we tripled up on the Justin Fields over, our 3-4 Week 4 record doesn’t tell the full story; We actually profited cash for a third consecutive week. Just about a quarter of the way through the regular season, we are now 13-8 (+6.9 units).
After a surprising first few weeks to the season where studs weren’t performing and there were some unfamiliar names leading certain position groups, things are finally beginning to shake out as one would expect. Justin Herbert has been the top quarterback, Christian McCaffrey has been the top running back, Justin Jefferson has been the top wideout, and T.J. Hockenson has been the top tight end (Travis Kelce missed the season opener but is averaging more points per game than Hock). The cream always rises to the top.
Fantasy football owners definitely have an edge when it comes to prop betting because we are so in tune with individual player performances. As always, remember to odds shop at your different sportsbooks to find the best values for the prop bets listed below. Now, let’s get down to business and find the best Week 5 NFL Player Props and continue our trend of profitable NFL weekends.
Josh Allen OVER 258.5 Passing Yards (-115)
After a disappointing season-opening performance against the New York Jets in which Allen turned the ball over four times in an upset loss, Buffalo’s signal-caller has turned it around and has been the QB1 over the last three weeks. Over that span, Allen has racked up 812 passing yards (270.7 per game) while going 72-for-94 (76.6% completion percentage) and throwing eight touchdowns and one interception.
He has risen to the top of the MVP race in large part due to his dominant performance in the Bills’ Week 4 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins in which he tallied 320 passing yards and four touchdowns, while also running one into the end zone. Allen has eclipsed this line in two of his previous three outings and faces a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that ranks 22nd in pass defense.
Also, the Bills are averaging 6.1 yards per play this season, which bodes well for Allen in this London-based contest. Allen doesn’t have a particularly good history against the Jaguars. But one of his previous two games came against them back in 2018 when they had an elite defense. Back in 2021, he surpassed this line against Jacksonville. Look for Allen to continue his MVP campaign…
WHAT OTHER PLAYER PROPS LOOK LIKE PROMISING BETS THIS WEEK?…
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Fantasy Football: Deal or No Deal Alvin Kamara
Fantasy Football: Deal or No Deal Alvin Kamara The Saints’ offense has had many changes in the offseason. It started […]
2023 New Orleans Saints Outlook
2023 New Orleans Saints Outlook The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player […]
2023 New Orleans Saints Outlook
The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview of all 32 teams from football legend Shawn Childs.
Also, check out Jody Smith’s NFL offensive line rankings and exclusive 2023 Strength of Schedule analysis.
Up next in our extensive NFL and fantasy football preview series is Shawn’s deep dive into the 2023 Carolina Panthers Outlook.
— Quarterback —
Derek Carr
In his eighth season with Las Vegas in 2021, Carr set career-highs in completions (428), pass attempts (626), and passing yards (4,804). On the downside, he finished below the league average in touchdowns (23) with a rise in interceptions (14). Carr passed for over 300 yards in seven of his 18 games (including the postseason), but he failed to throw more than two touchdowns in any matchup. Carr was the 12th highest-scoring quarterback (324.40) in four-point passing touchdown leagues despite his low-scoring ability. Before 2021 (40/108), he chipped in with some scores on the ground over the previous three seasons (24/47/1, 27/82/2, and 39/140/3).
Coming into last season, his completion rate (68.7) was a strength from 2018 to 2021. Unfortunately, the addition of Davante Adams (100/1,516/14) gave him a true WR1, but his completion rate (60.8) was the lowest since his rookie season (58.1) in 2014. In addition, Carr had a regression in yards per pass attempt (7.0 – 7.8 from 2019 to 2021). The Raiders ended up benching him over their final two matchups. He had repeated weakness in interceptions (14) and touchdowns (24). Carr passed for more than 300 yards in two games (303/2 and 307/2) while delivering three scores in only two contests. Nine of his interceptions came over his last five starts.
Fantasy Outlook: Based on the passing history of the Saints with Drew Brees behind center, Carr should throw the ball more than 600 times in 2023 while regaining his lost completion rate by throwing many passes to the running back position. WR Chris Olave (72/1,042/4) played well in his rookie season, and WR Rashid Shaheed (28/488/2) showed growth late in the year, but New Orleans still needs a second elite option in the passing game. A Michael Thomas sighting would help Carr’s passing upside. In late June, he ranked 18th at quarterback while on a path to pass for 4,300 yards and only a slight progression in touchdowns.
Other Options: Jameis Winston, Jake Haener, Taysom Hill
— Running Backs —
When reviewing the rushing data for the Saints in 2022, I need to pull out Taysom Hill’s production (96/575/7) to understand better their running back opportunity. When inputting the team stats last year, I treated Hill as a WR/TE instead of a quarterback, misrepresenting the team’s rushing profile. New Orleans’ backs gained 1,926 combined yards with nine touchdowns and 85 catches (19.51 FPPG in PPR formats). They set three-year lows in catches (85), receiving yards (650), receiving touchdowns (2), and targets (107) while accounting for 25.2% of their receiving yards.
Alvin Kamara
The lack of quarterback play hurt Kamara in two areas in 2021. He finished with a career-low 3.7 yards per carry (5.0 over his first four years) while having a sharp decline in his value in the passing game (47/439/5 – over 80 catches each season from 2017 to 2020). Despite missing four games with a knee injury, Kamara set a career-high in rushing attempts (240). He averaged 22.1 touches, besting his previous top in 2018 (18.3 per game). Kamara gained 100 combined yards in eight of his 13 starts, leading to 18.05 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues. His path projected over 17 matchups would have pushed him into the top five in running back scoring.
Last season, Kamara missed another two games with an early season rib issue. Over 15 starts, he gained 1,387 combined yards with a career-low four touchdowns and 57 catches. New Orleans gave him the ball 280 times (16.5 per game) while gaining only 4.0 yards per rush. Kamara rushed for more than 100 yards in two matchups (23/103 and 23/107). His role in the passing game was diminished over his final five contests (2/11, 2/13, 2/34, 1/7, and 1/3). He posted one impact showing (158 combined yards with two touchdowns and nine catches).
Fantasy Outlook: Kamara has a court date on July 31st regarding an off-the-field incident early in 2022. Based on his ranking in late June (32nd) and the addition of Jamaal Williams, a suspension appears looming if found guilty. I’ll defer on his outlook until his situation clears up in August.
Jamaal Williams
The Lions used Williams 179 times over his 13 games (13.8 per week) in 2021. He set a career-high in rushing yards (601) while showing weakness in yards per carry (3.9) and yards per catch (6.0). Williams missed four games with thigh, hip, and Covid-19 issues. He posted his best output in Week 1 (110 combined yards with one touchdown and eight catches). Detroit gave him three targets or fewer in 11 of his final 12 matchups while scoring less than 10.00 fantasy points in PPR leagues in nine games.
Despite a minimal uptick in yards per rush (4.1), Williams had the best rushing opportunity (262/1,066) of his career, highlighted by 17 touchdowns. His role in the passing game (12/73) was a career-low. He scored two touchdowns or more in six matchups while gaining more than 100 yards in two games (19/108/2 and 22/144/1). The Lions had him on the field for only 40.6% of their plays.
Fantasy Outlook: Williams gives the Saints veteran experience in case…
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF THE SAINTS IN 2023?
To finish reading Shawn’s in-depth 2023 team outlook, with in-depth offseason reports, projections, and fantasy outlooks for all players
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Fantasy Football: Dr. Roto’s Week 3 Prescription Notes
Senior fantasy football expert Dr. Roto recaps Week 2’s action with his first impressions, observations and future predictions. […]
2019 Fantasy Football: New Orleans Saints Expanded Team Outlook
In this New Orleans Saints Expanded Team Outlook, Shawn Childs provides meticulous & in-depth Fantasy Football breakdowns of the entire franchise.
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