Alvin Kamara shows up for his fantasy owners in Week 16

Saints running back Alvin Kamara ended a lengthy scoring drought on Sunday, and his fantasy owners are surely glad he did.

At first glance, even with a couple missed games, it wouldn’t look like New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has had anything but a bit of a down season. He sat at RB20 in standard scoring fantasy leagues through Week 15, and he was RB11 in full-point PPR scoring on the strength of 73 receptions.

But a look in the touchdown column shows a shortage. After scoring 14 rushing touchdowns in 2018, Kamara had just one entering Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. That lone touchdown on the ground also game back in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, and his one receiving touchdown on the season came in that game as well.

Kamara’s fantasy owners had to roll with him in Week 16 in a middle of the road matchup against the Titans, hope for a solid day and possibly an end to the lengthy touchdown drought at the most opportune time. Fortunately for those with something still at stake, their first-round pick back in August delivered 80 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries while adding six receptions for 30 yards (a nice, even 29 fantasy points in full-point PPR). The carry load could be nitpicked, but Kamara has actually not reached 15 carries in a game since Week 5 and he has made up for that with at least four catches in 12 of his 13 games now.

Kamara’s fantasy owners had to survive (and advance, in playoff matchups) with him not finding the end zone for nearly the entire season and missing two games. But he found pay dirt not once but twice in the most important week of the season, and all past lack of scoring sins will be forgiven on the way to some people cashing in league championship winnings.