Who Is the Saints Running Back to Own in Fantasy?

Mark Ingram’s season is over after the New Orleans Saints running back suffered a shoulder injury. (Getty)

In an NFL season that has been filled with injuries, New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram is the latest to fall victim to the trend.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that Ingram is heading to injured reserve with just four games left in the regular season after suffering a shoulder injury. The move wraps up Ingram’s season after the running back had been on the Saints injury reports for the past few weeks.

Still, he had been a major part of the New Orleans offense. Ingram played in all 12 of his squad’s games this year and rant he ball 166 ties for 769 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers had him on pace for his first 1,000-yard season as a pro.

But while Ingram’s move to the IR is another hit on a disappointing season for the Saints, it’s also an opportunity for fantasy fans to make some late-season moves.

Here’s some well-placed advice for fantasy players hoping to make that final push to their league’s playoffs: go add Tim Hightower. Now. Right now. Go do it. Seriously.

At first glance, it doesn’t make sense. After all, the Saints also have C.J. Spiller on the roster, but the former Buffalo Bills standout has not had a particularly productive season this fall. He has just 108 yards from scrimmage and not a single touchdown. That’s not good. He also hasn’t played much this season and his snaps have gone down each and every game. In the past two weeks Spiller has only four touches to his name.

On the flip side, Hightower could very well replace Ingram in some of the Saints base packages as a first and second-down type of threat. His size could also get him some goal-line looks that are always fairly appealing to fantasy owners.

Keep Hightower in your back pocket as a FLEX or a third running back option down the fantasy stretch. He could surprise a lot of people after signing to the squad last month.

The Saints also have rookie running back/kick returner Marcus Murphy on the roster and could look to free agency for a bit more help. They worked out Trent Richardson last much before signing Hightower.