Analyze Kendre Miller's matchup for week 10
Kendre Miller tore his ACL in Week 7 and remains on injured reserve, rendering him completely unstartable in Week 10 and for the rest of the 2025 season.
The Panthers have allowed plenty of rushing production this year, ranking in the bottom third in yards per game and explosive runs, a profile that would have suited Miller’s one-cut style perfectly. With Alvin Kamara’s workload managed more cautiously at age 30, Miller was on track for 8-12 touches in this divisional tilt. Instead, New Orleans will lean on Kamara and rookie change-of-pace back Devin Neal while Miller rehabs.
Miller’s snap share and touches climbed each healthy week, culminating in a career-best 11-carry, 65-yard, one-TD line against Buffalo before the Week 7 ACL tear ended his sophomore campaign.
Any fantasy discussion of Kendre Miller in Week 10 is purely academic; the third-year back suffered a season-ending ACL tear against Chicago in Week 7 and landed on IR on October 22nd. Prior to that, he had finally begun to reward the Saints’ 2023 third-round investment, posting ascending touch and yardage totals through the first quarter of the season. His Week 4 breakout versus Buffalo—11 carries for 65 yards and his first NFL touchdown—showcased the burst and vision that made him a Horned Frog standout and hinted at a potential timeshare with an aging Alvin Kamara.
From a real-football standpoint, the timing was brutal. New Orleans entered 2025 in evaluation mode at quarterback and looking to lighten Kamara’s load, a scenario that projected 8-12 weekly touches for Miller as the primary change-of-pace back. Carolina’s defense, vulnerable to explosive runs and familiar to the Saints after years of NFC South battles, was an ideal setup for the TCU product to build on his early momentum. Had he stayed healthy, Miller would have been a high-upside flex option this week, especially in formats that reward big-play upside.
For fantasy managers, the only decision left is roster management: drop him in redraft and hold in dynasty. At 23 years old and with promising film, Miller remains worth stashing in deeper keeper formats, but he won’t help anyone in 2025. The New Orleans backfield now belongs to Kamara and rookie Devin Neal, with Jordan Mims sprinkled in for situational work. In the end, Miller’s season serves as another reminder that talent and opportunity matter only when health cooperates—an unfortunate reality that renders any Week 10 start/sit debate moot.