Alvin Kamara Injury Update: When Will RB Return to Saints?
Saints running back Alvin Kamara went down in Week 12 with what appeared to be a major knee injury. Fortunate for Kamara and Saints fans, the injury was later diagnosed as “just” an MCL sprain. Many are now wondering if Kamara is done for the season, or if he is in line to play in New Orleans’ final game of the campaign. Below, we will deliver a Kamara injury update and look at when he will return.
⏳ When will Alvin Kamara return and be back with Saints?
Saints fans breathed a sigh of relief when an MRI revealed that Kamara had an MCL sprain, instead of what was initially feared to be an ACL tear. The Saints have not been specific about how severe the sprained MCL is. A grade 1 sprain takes just 1-to-3 weeks to recover from. A grade 2 sprain can take up to a month to recover from.
Considering the Saints never placed Kamara on injured reserve, which causes a player to automatically miss four games, we can guess that Kamara suffered a mild sprain. If the Saints were in the middle of a playoff run, it is almost certain that Kamara would have been back on the field by now. But, given that the Saints are 6-10 on the year and will miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, there is no rush to bring him back.
❓ Is Alvin Kamara out for the season?
If I had to bet, I would say that Kamara will miss the Week 18 game at the Atlanta Falcons and is done for the season. The Saints’ versatile RB has not played since Nov. 23. That was 37 days ago (5 weeks, 2 days). Even if Kamara suffered a grade 2 sprain, that is enough time to recover from under normal circumstances.
Saints head coach Kellen Moore told reporters last week that Kamara did not suffer any sort of setback in his recovery, but that injury timelines “take different paths.”
“He’s doing everything he can [to return],” Moore said of Kamara. “He’s been around the team and helping every way.”
🏈 Alvin Kamara fantasy football stock
Most fantasy football leagues wrap up in Week 17, but there are some formats where Week 18 is factored in. There are also daily fantasy and betting implications with Kamara’s potential return as well.
Despite being out of action for over a month, Kamara is still owned in 82% of Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues. Kamara went in the fifth or sixth round of most standard, 12-team PPR fantasy drafts this season. It’s a far cry from when he was going in the top five of drafts a few years back, but it’s understandable considering he is on the older side for an NFL RB, at 30-years-old.
⚜️ Saints betting odds
The Saints will likely be a trendy pick when it comes to futures at the best NFL betting sites ahead of next season. New Orleans is finishing this season strong, and many believe that can have carryover to the following season for a young team.
The Saints had a pre-season win total over/under projection of 4.5 victories. New Orleans has surpassed that mark as it has six wins on the campaign.
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