Alvin Kamara (knee) has been out the Saints past three games, but is officially “questionable” for Thursday night’s Week 13 showdown against the Cowboys. His availability will have a big effect on Week 13 fantasy RB rankings and start and lay decisions, so knowing the latest injury updates will be key.

We will continue to update this article with news about Kamara until the official active / inactive report comes out on Thursday around 6:50 pm ET. For the latest fantasy updates, follow us on Twitter @ SN_Fantasy.

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Is it Alvin Kamara Thursday night?

UPGRADE: Kamara has been ruled OUT OF for Thursday night. Mark Ingram becomes a mid-to-low-end RB2 option.

Kamara (knee) was a limited participant in practice this week, so it looks like he’s closer to playing than missing his third game in a row. That being said, we will not draw any conclusions at this time. If he plays, it’s obviously a must-start, but what if he doesn’t?

WEEK 13 PPR RANKINGS:
Field marshal | Running backwards | Wide receiver | Tight end | D / ST | Kicker

It’s worth noting that Mark Ingram was a full participant for the entire week after missing last week’s game, so he’s out of the injury report. If Kamara is out, Ingram will be the lead running back, a combination of Tony Jones Jr. and Ty Montgomery likely taking the rest of the touches on the table. However, neither seems to be very attractive options.

WEEK 13 STANDARD RATINGS:
Field marshal | Running backwards | Wide receiver | Tight end | D / ST | Kicker

Dallas is ranked No. 7 defense against fantasy RBs, and if Taysom Hill is the starting quarterback as many hope, that could be a problem for New Orleans pass receivers. While stationary quarterbacks are likely to throw the ball to quarterbacks when they’re under pressure or have nowhere to go with the ball, mobile quarterbacks choose to fight in those situations. In the four games Taysom Hill started last season, Kamara had just 10 receptions for 51 yards. That is far below what we expect. On top of that, Hill is likely to take advantage of career opportunities in the red zone and the goal line, kind of like what Cam Newton has done to Christian McCaffrey in the past.

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All things considered, we know it’s tough to bench any starting running back, but don’t have too much hope for Ingram if Kamara is out. We have Kamara as RB10 in PPR and RB11 in standard leagues due to his high ceiling, while Ingram will be a low-end RB2 if he gets the initial go-ahead. Either way, there is a risk involved with whoever you use in this field.