Alvin Kamara Prepared to Exceed Expectations in 2021

A year ago the Saints had a Hall of Fame quarterback, a record-setting wide receiver, and one of the best dual-threat running backs in the league.

Only one of those things remains. Brees is retired and Michael Thomas is expected to miss time due to an offseason surgery, leaving Alvin Kamara as the best playmaker on the team.

WynnBET is giving Kamara +5000 odds (19th best) to lead the league in rushing, but they should be giving him more credit for the workload he is about to take on. Kamara has consistently hovered around 1,000 yards rushing every season, but has never taken 200 carries. Although he is a dual-threat back, this season should come with more carries and more rushing yards. 

His teammates recognize that he doesn’t always get as many touches as a player his caliber should. The Saints have run a split backfield for the last two seasons. In 2018, Kamara and Mark Ingram were a duo. Last year, Latavius Murray was getting a split of the carries. Kamara has never been the lone back, but that should change this season. 

"If given the targets, if given the carries that some premier backs get ... he'd have astronomical numbers,” Cameron Jordan said.

Kamara also has the 6th-best odds to lead the league in rushing touchdowns. In 2020, Kamara finished one touchdown behind Derrick Henry in the touchdowns category. Now that Brees isn’t running the offense and Kamara is set to take more touches, he should be closer to the top of the odds standings.

"I look at as I'm doing what I've got to do to help my team. I'm doing my job. A load sounds like a burden, but for me it's a blessing,” Kamara said. “If I go from six carries a game to 12 carries a game, that's not bad. That's not a load. They're showing love."

If the Saints lean into Kamara’s ability, he should see the type of numbers most of the other star running backs put up.

Will Kamara exceed expectations this season? Download the WynnBET app and make your pick today.