Alvin Kamara or Luther Burden III: Who Should You Start?
2026 Week 3 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Start Burden — the consensus rank and projection edges are too wide to ignore.
Luther Burden III is the higher consensus play (WR27 to RB48) and projects 11.2 to Kamara's 9.6. No signal favors Kamara this week. The gap is wide.
Alvin Kamara
7.68.69.6 Projected Points
Luther Burden III
6.68.911.2 Projected Points
Alvin Kamara’s market
Luther Burden III’s market
Why Alvin Kamara
SitVeteran RB2 in complementary role. Elite receiving back with elusive short-area footwork, now sharing the backfield.
Sit — bench-tier RB at consensus RB48: LV is the 11th-toughest matchup vs RBs, 9% target share.
- LV ranks 11 of 32 against RBs (one of the tougher matchups, 3-game sample).
- Vegas implies 23.0 team points as 3.5-point favorites.
- Listed RB on the latest depth chart with a 31% snap share.
Latest on Kamara
In Week 2, Kamara led the Saints backfield with a 33% rush share and 18% target share, tripling Etienne's workload in his first game back from injury.
CBS Sports · Sep 23, 2026Saints running back Alvin Kamara has "no limitations," was a full participant in practice and says his knee feels good only one month after spraining his MCL in practice.
The team's all-time leader in rushing yards beat the projected recovery timeline and will play on Sunday
Katherine Terrell discusses the injury statuses of running back Alvin Kamara and defensive lineman Cam Jordan.
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Why Luther Burden III
Toss-UpWR2 and outside starter opposite Rome Odunze. Explosive yards-after-catch threat with manufactured-touch usage.
Toss-up — WR27 consensus, projects WR37 this week: PHI is the 10th-toughest matchup vs WRs, 24.0 implied team total.
- PHI ranks 10 of 32 against WRs (one of the tougher matchups, 2-game sample).
- Vegas implies 24.0 team points as 1.5-point favorites.
- Listed WR-2 on the latest depth chart with a 65% snap share.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Alvin Kamara | Luther Burden III |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 7.68.69.6 | 6.68.911.2 |
| Consensus rank | RB48 | WR27 |
| Opponent vs position | LV · 11 of 323-game sample | PHI · 10 of 322-game sample |
| Rushing Yards | 14 of 32 | — |
| Rushing TDs | 8 of 32 | — |
| Rushing Attempts | 16 of 32 | — |
| Receptions | 9 of 32 | 6 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 13 of 32 | 13 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 6 of 32 | 13 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | — | 14 of 32 |
| Targets | — | 4 of 32 |
| Target share | 9% | 21% |
| Reception share | 10% | 20% |
| Implied total · spread | 23.0-3.5 | 24.0-1.5 |
| Depth chart | RB2 | WR2 |
| Snap share | 31% | 65% |
| Start/Sit record | — | 0–1 |
Recent form
Alvin Kamara — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs BAL | 2.24.77.2 |
| Week 1 | vs DET | 0.00.00.0 |
Luther Burden III — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs MIN | 3.24.76.2 |
| Week 1 | vs CAR | 4.57.09.5 |
Signal breakdown
- 9.6 vs 11.2 projected PPR pointsLuther Burden III +
- Rank 48 vs 27Luther Burden III +
- Opponent DvP rank 11 vs 10 (32 = softest)Luther Burden III +
- Implied 23.0 vs 24.0 team pointsLuther Burden III +
- No injury designationseven
- 31% vs 65% snap shareLuther Burden III +
Compare different players
Every fantasy-relevant player this week — search or filter by position.
More Kamara comparisons
More Burden comparisons
- L. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs PHIJ. WilliamsJameson WilliamsWRDETvs NYJ
- L. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs PHIR. OdunzeRome OdunzeWRCHIvs PHI
- L. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs PHIC. TateCarnell TateWRTENvs NYG
- L. Burden IIILuther Burden IIIWRCHIvs PHIM. Harrison Jr.Marvin Harrison Jr.WRARIvs SF
This week’s toughest calls
- K. Walker IIIKenneth Walker IIIRBKCvs MIA
K. WilliamsKyren WilliamsRBLARvs DEN
- K. WilliamsKyren WilliamsRBLARvs DENQ. JudkinsQuinshon JudkinsRBCLEvs CAR
- Q. JudkinsQuinshon JudkinsRBCLEvs CARC. SkatteboCam SkatteboRBNYGvs TEN
- C. SkatteboCam SkatteboRBNYGvs TEND. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs PHI
- D. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs PHIB. TutenBhayshul TutenRBJAXvs NE
- B. TutenBhayshul TutenRBJAXvs NEB. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs MIN
- T. HigginsTee HigginsWRCINvs PIT
D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs DEN
- D. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs DENC. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs ATL
- C. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs ATLP. WashingtonParker WashingtonWRJAXvs NE
- P. WashingtonParker WashingtonWRJAXvs NEM. GoldenMatthew GoldenWRGBvs ATL
- M. GoldenMatthew GoldenWRGBvs ATLQ. JohnstonQuentin JohnstonWRLACvs BUF
- Q. JohnstonQuentin JohnstonWRLACvs BUFJ. DownsJosh DownsWRINDvs HOU
- K. Pitts Sr.Kyle Pitts Sr.TEATLvs GB
G. KittleGeorge KittleTESFvs ARI
- G. KittleGeorge KittleTESFvs ARIS. LaPortaSam LaPortaTEDETvs NYJ
- S. LaPortaSam LaPortaTEDETvs NYJT. KraftTucker KraftTEGBvs ATL
- T. KraftTucker KraftTEGBvs ATLT. KelceTravis KelceTEKCvs MIA
- T. KelceTravis KelceTEKCvs MIAJ. FergusonJake FergusonTEDALvs BAL
- J. FergusonJake FergusonTEDALvs BALI. LikelyIsaiah LikelyTENYGvs TEN
- D. PrescottDak PrescottQBDALvs BAL
J. HerbertJustin HerbertQBLACvs BUF
- J. HerbertJustin HerbertQBLACvs BUFT. LawrenceTrevor LawrenceQBJAXvs NE
- T. LawrenceTrevor LawrenceQBJAXvs NEB. PurdyBrock PurdyQBSFvs ARI
- B. PurdyBrock PurdyQBSFvs ARIP. MahomesPatrick MahomesQBKCvs MIA
- P. MahomesPatrick MahomesQBKCvs MIAB. NixBo NixQBDENvs LAR
- B. NixBo NixQBDENvs LARM. StaffordMatthew StaffordQBLARvs DEN
- E. PineiroEddy PineiroKSFvs ARI
J. BatesJake BatesKDETvs NYJ
- J. BatesJake BatesKDETvs NYJH. ButkerHarrison ButkerKKCvs MIA
- H. ButkerHarrison ButkerKKCvs MIAT. LoopTyler LoopKBALvs DAL
- T. LoopTyler LoopKBALvs DALC. BoswellChris BoswellKPITvs CIN
- C. BoswellChris BoswellKPITvs CINC. McLaughlinChase McLaughlinKTBvs MIN
- C. McLaughlinChase McLaughlinKTBvs MINT. SmackTrey SmackKGBvs ATL
- Giants D/STGiants D/STDSTNYGvs TEN
Lions D/STLions D/STDSTDETvs NYJ
- Lions D/STLions D/STDSTDETvs NYJSaints D/STSaints D/STDSTNOvs LV
- Saints D/STSaints D/STDSTNOvs LVVikings D/STVikings D/STDSTMINvs TB
- Vikings D/STVikings D/STDSTMINvs TBBengals D/STBengals D/STDSTCINvs PIT
- Bengals D/STBengals D/STDSTCINvs PITTitans D/STTitans D/STDSTTENvs NYG
- Titans D/STTitans D/STDSTTENvs NYGBills D/STBills D/STDSTBUFvs LAC
- B. IrvingBucky IrvingRBTBvs MIND. AdamsDavante AdamsWRLARvs DEN
- P. WashingtonParker WashingtonWRJAXvs NEJ. WarrenJaylen WarrenRBPITvs CIN
- C. HubbardChuba HubbardRBCARvs CLE
C. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs ATL - C. WatsonChristian WatsonWRGBvs ATLC. SkatteboCam SkatteboRBNYGvs TEN
- D. SwiftD'Andre SwiftRBCHIvs PHIT. HigginsTee HigginsWRCINvs PIT
- T. HigginsTee HigginsWRCINvs PITT. KelceTravis KelceTEKCvs MIA
- G. KittleGeorge KittleTESFvs ARID. Samuel Sr.Deebo Samuel Sr.WRSFvs ARI
- D. Samuel Sr.Deebo Samuel Sr.WRSFvs ARII. LikelyIsaiah LikelyTENYGvs TEN
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