After being suspended for the first three games of the 2023 season, Saints RB Alvin Kamara made his return to the field Sunday against the Buccaneers. His overall production was relatively quiet, but his route to that production was one of the more surprising developments in what was a busy afternoon in fantasy football. Rumors swirled ahead of the game that Kamara was bracing for a full workload in his first game back, and the Saints rewarded him with that for the most part.
Kamara was the clear leader in the Saints backfield in opportunity and production with a 75% snap share and 70% route participation, but it was his work in the passing game that buoyed his performance in PPR formats. His 13 receptions were by far the most by a running back this season, but what was even more peculiar was the fact that he only had 33 yards to show for them.
Much can be attributed to QB Derek Carr playing with a bum shoulder (his AC joint injury clearly affected his passing), leading Kamara to be a favorite target of his on checkdowns and short-distance passing. The efficiency should go up for Kamara in the future with a more digestible workload in the receiving game, but it looks like Kamara has the Saints backfield on lockdown once again moving forward.