Ryan Ramczyk's injury is devastating news for New Orleans Saints skill position players

The offensive line position is often a forgotten piece of fantasy football that can severely impact the effectiveness of skill players. They are never going to have a role in the game that NFL fans have fallen in love with but tend to affect it more than they get credit for.

Subpar offensive lines typically get the most attention by fantasy managers but stellar blocking units frequently are taken for granted. New Orleans has developed a reputation for having a consistent front line but will see that distinction take a hit after placing right tackle Ryan Ramczyk on the physically unable to perform — PUP — list on July 18.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Ramczyk will miss the entire 2024 season due to a knee injury he has spent most of the summer attempting to rehab.

With Ramczyk widely considered as the best contributor of the Saints' offensive line, their entire offense is expected to. go through growing pains as they adjust to life without the former All-Pro. But it will not just be in the "real life" game that Ramczyk's absence will be noticed, as his vacancy will be felt by fantasy managers.

Ryan Ramczyk's injury will hurt Alvin Kamara

Without Ramczyk on the field in 2024, New Orleans' offensive line will return just two starters from the previous season. As the most reliable piece up front, the 30-year-old's absence will be most noticeable in the running game.

For an aging running back like Alvin Kamara who has never been known as a particularly quick runner, losing a player like Ramczyk will take a significant toll. Entering his age-28 season, Kamara averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in 2023 and has not averaged over 4.0 yards per attempt since 2020. For a player who has struggled with efficiency as much as he has in the latter half of his career, Kamara's rushing production is almost certainly going to take a dip.

By replacing a player of Ramczyk's level with backup Trevor Penning, Klint Kubiak may have Kamara stay in the backfield more to block on passing downs than be employed as a check-down receiver, further limiting his touches.

Bad news for Derek Carr and Chris Olave

As one may expect, a key injury to the offensive line will also impact the passing game. Derek Carr had a successful campaign in his inaugural season with the team but has not been historically considered an elite quarterback.

For a pocket passer like Carr, protection is essential to his success without being able to scramble as a safety blanket to avoid pressure. Carr still took 31 sacks on the year — the fifth-most of his career — but threw just eight interceptions, tied for his second-fewest single-season total.

Without the same amount of flow in the pocket, the Saints will have less overall time to allow plays to develop, capping the number of big plays the offense can allow wide receivers like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed to develop.

In the three other seasons Carr has been sacked more than 30 times he has thrown double-digit interceptions, a trend that may continue in 2024. In replace of Ramczyk, Trevor Penning received just a 53.6 PFF grade in 2023.