Fantasy Football

Mark Ingram is set to lead the New Orleans Saints' backfield Sunday against the Tennessee Titans with Alvin Kamara officially ruled out for the game.

The Saints announced Friday that Kamara will not play against the Titans because of a knee sprain he suffered last week, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Let's further analyze the fantasy implications of Kamara's potential absence on the team's backfield.

Mark Ingram

Ingram's fantasy value received a nice boost when he moved from the crowded Houston Texans' backfield back to New Orleans, where he played from 2011 through 2018. The last two seasons of that stint were a highly effective partnership with Kamara.

He'll be a clear fantasy starter with Kamara out, but the key question is whether he'll be the unquestioned leader of the backfield, which could result in upwards of 20 touches and borderline top-10 fantasy value at the position, or if the Saints will lean more on a committee approach.

Even if it's the latter, the University of Alabama product will fall in the No. 2 running back or flex range since he'll be the top choice for red-zone work.

Saints players' fantasy value has fluctuated throughout the year as the offense moved in a new direction following the retirement of Drew Brees. Kamara was the one player who could be counted on weekly, and Ingram should now take over that distinction.

Dwayne Washington

Washington struggled across his first two NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2016 draft. He averaged below three yards per carry in Detroit. He's been more efficient in a limited role with the Saints, putting up 5.3 YPC from 2018 through 2020.

He has only seen limited work this season in six games with one carry for five yards and one reception for six yards, but with Kamara out and Tony Jones Jr. still on injured reserve, he should be the Saints No. 2 back on Sunday.

It's unlikely he'll be ticketed for a major role, even if Kamara is out for awhile, so he shouldn't be a prime free-agent target in fantasy leagues yet. That said, he should now be on managers' radars since he's another injury away from making an impact.

Those in deeper leagues may even want to take a flier now if they're running back depth is particularly weak.

Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday after being waiver by the Cleveland Browns last week. But what does the signing mean for his fantasy outlook?

The main question is, will Beckham produce more with the Rams than he did with the Browns?

The 29-year-old saw minimal production in Cleveland next to Jarvis Landry and an emerging Donovan Peoples-Jones. In six games this season, the three-time Pro Bowler has just 17 catches for 232 yards and no touchdowns. 

While Beckham's presence on the Rams should make the team better, he still might not have a massive impact in fantasy. The 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year now finds himself in a loaded receiving group that includes Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson and Robert Woods. 

Kupp leads the league in catches (74), receiving yards (1,019) and receiving touchdowns (10) in nine games. Woods and Jefferson have also been effective, combining for 989 yards and seven scores. 

Kupp has played 92 percent of L.A.'s offensive snaps this season, while Woods has played 93 percent and Jefferson has played 78 percent. If that continues, Beckham might find it difficult to get playing time, and it's unlikely he'll see enough snaps to be a fantasy starter. 

DeSean Jackson was recently released because of his minimal playing time behind L.A.'s top trio. If Beckham is slotted in behind those receivers on the depth chart, he won't be a solid option for fantasy managers. 

However, Beckham could potentially take over the team's third spot from Jefferson. It would be wise to see how things shake out between Beckham and Jefferson over the next few weeks before making a move, though.

It's unlikely fantasy managers can pick up Beckham this late in the season anyway. He's rostered in 79 percent of Yahoo Sports fantasy leagues. 

Meanwhile, Jefferson is rostered in just 37 percent of leagues, but his playing time should take a hit with Beckham on board, which makes him a candidate to be dropped by managers over the next few weeks.  

It's official—Odell Beckham Jr. is signing with the Los Angeles Rams. 

And that, of course, brings with it a whole slew of questions about how this addition will help—or hinder—the fantasy value of players like Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson. 

Stafford was already a clear QB1, and Beckham's addition should only bolster that standing. Fantasy players rostering him should view this addition as the cherry on top of the sundae. 

Don't expect Kupp to see any sort of hit in fantasy value either. It's very clear that Stafford and Kupp have a special connection, and no player has been more valuable in any format than Kupp, who is averaging an incredible 26.2 fantasy points per week in points-per-reception formats. 

To put that in perspective, that's more than any other player in fantasy—including the quarterbacks. Beckham's addition isn't going to cut into his target share or overall role. Kupp is the top guy in this passing game. 

The most interesting facet for the Rams is whether Beckham's addition is going to affect Woods, Jefferson or tight end Tyler Higbee much. Maybe the Beckham we saw in his prime years would be a threat to Woods' role in this offense. 

But when is the last time we saw that version of Beckham? 

The answer is 2016, when he caught 101 passes for 1,337 yards and 10 touchdowns. In the five seasons since, Beckham has a grand total of 16 touchdown receptions. He's exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in just two of those campaigns and hasn't reached 90 receptions once, a mark he surpassed in each of his first three years. 

You can blame injuries or a poor working relationship with Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, and then hope that he's rejuvenated in L.A. with Stafford and head coach Sean McVay. Perhaps we'll see the downfield threat that once wowed the NFL community with stunning, acrobatic catches. 

But it's hard to imagine that Beckham is going to seriously change Kupp or Woods' target share in this offense. Kupp stays a WR1. Woods remains a WR2. Higbee, already a fantasy TE2, might have fewer targets go his way now but not enough to dramatically change his fantasy outlook. 

Really, the biggest loser in all of this is Jefferson, who probably takes a backseat to Beckham. That's if Beckham is still the downfield threat we once saw. Jefferson has lost much of his fantasy value, at least for now. 

But it's fair to question if Beckham has much either. He's a flex consideration at the moment, but don't be shocked if his role in this offense is fairly modest. 

Superman is back in Charlotte.

The Carolina Panthers signed quarterback Cam Newton on Thursday, reuniting the 2015 MVP with the organization where he spent his first nine NFL seasons. Newton had been a free agent since being released by the New England Patriots as part of 53-man roster cuts.

Sam Darnold is expected to miss the next four to six weeks with a shoulder injury, which should open the door for Newton to return to his former perch as the Panthers' starting quarterback. P.J. Walker will serve as the Panthers' starter for at least this week while Newton is getting reacclimated.

It's possible Walker will start Week 11's game against the Washington Football Team as well. Ten days isn't a particularly long time to learn a new system, but it sounds like coach Matt Rhule wants Newton on the field as soon as possible.

"My job is to try to win right now," Rhule said Thursday. "Our fans aren't paying money to watch us win in two years. At the same time, you're trying to build a Super Bowl-caliber team. So it's a balancing act of doing what's right long-term and trying to win at the same time. Many times those are the same thing."

Christian McCaffrey's usage shouldn't change much regardless of who is at quarterback, but D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson are a pair of names to watch. Moore has been the unquestioned WR1 this season, hauling in 53 passes for 677 yards and three touchdowns. Anderson has been one of fantasy's biggest disappointments with 19 grabs for 206 yards and two scores.

Moore has previous experience catching balls from Newton, so he should have a leg up in keeping his status in the offense. Newton will likely rely on players he trusts early in his return to Carolina, so a heavy dose of Moore and McCaffrey could be coming.

Anderson was a Jet the last time Newton was a Panther, so he could continue being the odd man out. 

Look for the offensive status quo we've seen his season to remain, though Moore may be more inconsistent due to Newton's penchant for running. Anderson can be dropped in 12-team formats.