New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is expected to miss at least one month after spraining his MCL during Tuesday’s joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys, according to a league source with knowledge of the injury but not authorized to speak publicly.Kamara avoided major ligament damage but won’t be ready for the Saints’ Sept. 13 season opener in Detroit.Kamara will play the 2026 season on a restructured contract with a base salary of $6 million and a chance to earn up to $8.5 million with incentives. He was originally set to earn $11.5 million in base salary in 2026, but the Saints renegotiated his contract in early March for salary-cap purposes, then did so again in July.Why Saints fans are thankful for Drew BreesJohnny SweetAlso in March, the team signed Travis Etienne to a four-year contract worth up to $52 million, prompting uncertainty about Kamara’s future in New Orleans. After Etienne’s signing, Kamara showed up for parts of OTAs unexpectedly and then attended minicamp.Etienne is expected to slot in as the starter, with Kamara moved to backup. The Saints also have Kendre Miller and Devin Neal at the position.Kamara, 31, is entering his ninth season with the Saints, who drafted him in 2017. He is New Orleans’ all-time leading rusher with 7,250 career rushing yards and 61 touchdowns. He also has 4,948 career receiving yards and 25 TDs across 126 regular-season games. Kamara has appeared in seven playoff games with the Saints, who last made the postseason in 2020.Fantasy spin: With Kamara out, Etienne is in the clearHow high does Etienne climb in the ranks as a result of the Kamara injury? Whether or not the Saints wanted Kamara back, he was still on the team and likely to threaten Etienne’s bell-cow potential, mainly in the receiving department.The man formerly known as ETN goes from a mid-RB2 to inside the top 15. I pushed Etienne ahead of Josh Jacobs and Breece Hall now, as both are facing uncertainty around injuries (and more for Jacobs). It not only means more value for Etienne, but he’s now in Tier 3 of RBs, one spot behind Javonte Williams.As for Kamara, hearing “at least the next month” as a potential return timeline pushes him to a late-round stash, especially if you have IR spots.The Saints offense will be better than it was last year with Tyler Shough at quarterback all year, but I can’t push Etienne much higher than his new spot in the ranks. Despite Neal, Miller and the rest of the running back options not being a threat to Etienne, this still projects as a pass-happy team with less efficiency than the Jaguars. So, yes, Etienne gets a boost by not ceding those early season opportunities to Kamara, but 300 touches and an RB1 finish still feels a bit lofty. — Jake Ciely