The New Orleans Saints might be without their two top backs for the Week 16 game against the New York Jets.
The Saints announced on Thursday that they have placed running back Devin Neal on injured reserve, which ends his 2025 campaign. For fantasy managers who need a roster spot, Neal is now droppable.
In addition to Neal, fellow running back Alvin Kamara might not suit up due to his knee and ankle injuries. Kamara has sat out at practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, putting him on track to miss his fourth straight game.
So, who is the Saints running back to own in fantasy football if Kamara doesn't suit up? Here's what we know.
Fantasy football implications
The Saints are likely to deploy a two-man backfield if Kamara is sidelined once again. The two backs they are going to use are Audric Estime and Evan Hull, as both of them saw action last week after Neal exited early.
Estime saw three carries to Hull's four, but he was more involved in the passing game with three catches on three targets to Hull's zero receptions on zero targets. Estime also saw three more snaps (25) than Hull (22).
Estime is listed ahead of Hull on the Saints' depth chart, so that's an indication he'll be New Orleans' No. 1 back in Week 16, but we wouldn't expect him to out-touch Hull by a wide margin.
In terms of who is the better starting option, we'd go with Estime, as he appears to be the preferred choice in the passing game.
The Jets are ceding the second-most fantasy points per game to backs this season, which only strengthens Estime's case.
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