Projecting the touches in the Saints' backfield

Saints beat writer Mike Triplett estimates the touches in the team's backfield:

Mark Ingram's 255 touches last year were the second most by any running back in the Sean Payton era (behind only Deuce McAllister's 274 in 2006) -- and Ingram did that in just 13 games played.

Combine that with the four-year, $16 million contract New Orleans gave Ingram this offseason, and I don't expect a dramatic drop-off in his workload in 2015. However, the Saints do have the luxury of keeping Ingram fresh if everyone stays healthy.

Assuming everyone stays healthy, I'll go with something like:

Ingram 240 touches (950-1,000 rushing yards)

C.J. Spiller 150 touches (400-plus rushing yards, 500-plus receiving yards)

Khiry Robinson 90 touches (350-400 rushing yards)

Fantasy Impact: 

As Senior Editor John Paulsen broke down in The Case for C.J. Spiller, 150 touches (80 carries, 70 catches) would result in a #19 RB finish in PPR formats. Even if the the Saints give Spiller more carries (96) and fewer catches (60), Spiller's projected production would result in a #20 RB finish. Over the last two weeks, Spiller has been the 27th RB off the board in early best ball PPR drafts. Ingram has been the 15th RB taken, so if we assume 1,100 total yards, nine touchdowns and 30 receptions, he would finish with 194 FP (PPR), which happens to match his total from last season. He was the #14 RB in only 13 games played in 2014. A healthy Robinson is a concern for Ingram, however. The Saints wanted to increase Robinson's role prior to his Week 7 injury (fractured arm), so we may see more of an even split in the running game between the two backs if they both stay healthy.

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