Devin Neal enters his rookie season with the Saints as a deep sleeper who could crack fantasy lineups sooner than expected. With Alvin Kamara nearing 30 and potentially on the trade block, Neal has a realistic path to carving out an early-down role by midseason.
Over the last three seasons at Kansas, Neal rushed for over 1,000 yards each year while having a similar role catching the ball (21/183/1, 25/217/1, and 24/254/1). He gained 5,054 combined yards in his career with 53 touchdowns and 77 catches on 837 touches. His best scoring value rose in 2023 (16) and 2024 (16).
Neal rushed for over 100 yards 15 times over the past two seasons, while gaining 200 yards twice in his career (32/224/1 and 37/207/3).
He brings a “do your job approach” to the NFL while lacking elite speed (4.58 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine). Neal has a good feel for play flow while having the eyes to hit daylight when it shines through. His power grades better than his open-field moves, which helps his value in short-yardage and goal-line plays. He’ll add value catching the ball while trailing in his pass protection skills.
Neal should have the inside track to win the Saints’ backup running back role based on him being drafted by their new coaching staff. He falls into the deep sleeper category. His ADP has climbed a few spots over the summer due to positive reports out of training camp.
Neal entered the 2025 draft as one of the more exciting rookie running back prospects, but his landing spot with the Saints left fantasy managers underwhelmed. With Alvin Kamara nearing 30, showing decline as a runner, and possibly on the trade block, New Orleans will soon need fresh legs to handle early-down work. That opens the door for Neal to emerge as the team’s bell cow by midseason, making him a stash-worthy lottery ticket for fantasy benches.
Neal is currently the RB84 in our 2025 PPR Rankings, but he will likely move up a bit in our next rankings update. The Saints aren’t very good and with the inexperienced Spencer Rattler under center, the running backs are going to see a ton of action. If Kamara is moved by the trade deadline, Neal will battle Kendre Miller for the workhorse role, and while Miller is one of those post-hype sleepers, Neal brings more consistency to the table and doesn’t have the injury history that Miller does.
