Week 4 vs. Cowboys
Mark Ingram rushed 14 times for 50 yards with one touchdown, while also adding five catches for 49 yards in the Saints Week 3 loss to Carolina. He played 61 percent of the Saints offensive snaps, which is pretty much in line for what he's played for the season (63 percent). The problem is the vertical passing game is virtually non-existent in the Saints offense. so defenses haven't had too difficultly in containing Ingram. His high in the first three weeks is 53 yards, although he's been involved in the passing game enough to make him a viable RB2. Earlier this week, however, Sean Payton mentioned how he needs to get C.J. Spiller the ball more, and Khiry Robinson was still fed seven times last week. Ingram ranks as our RB11 for Week 4 and remains a RB2 option for Sunday. But the Saints directionless offense is a cause for concern.
Week 3 at Carolina
Mark Ingram rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and also added three catches for five yards in the Saints Week 2 loss to the Bucs. Led by Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay's defensive line did a great job containing Ingram, who also put the ball on the ground in the fourth quarter and was outplayed by Khiry Robinson in the second half. That said, Ingram was still the Saints red-zone back and should see plenty of touches with Drew Brees (shoulder) listed as out for the game. The Panthers rank as fantasy's No. 14 defense versus running backs and Ingram is our RB23 for Week 3. He'll be a low-end RB2 this weekend.
Week 2 vs. Tampa Bay
Mark Ingram rushed nine times for 24 yards while also catching eight passes for 98 yards in the Saints Week 1 loss to Arizona. He split time with Khiry Robinson, who received 13 touches throughout the game. With C.J. Spiller inactive due to a knee injury, Ingram saw more opportunities in the passing game than he normally would had Spiller been active. That said, he flashed enough as a receiver that Sean Payton can trust him both through the air and on the ground. Ingram is our RB12 for Week 2 as the Saints play the Bucs and fantasy's No.2 run defense. He's a borderline RB1 this week.
Week 1 at Arizona
With C.J. Spiller out, it's highly likely Mark Ingram will get the majority of touches this week when the Saints visit the Cardinals. Khiry Robinson will also be in the mix, but Ingram is an option both as a runner and a pass-catcher with Spiller out. Ingram proved last year he's more than capable as a pass-catcher and holds up well in pass-protection as well. He was used more as an every-down back last season and even though the Cardinals own last year's No. 1 fantasy run defense, Ingram is a RB2 option for Sunday. He currently ranks as our RB17 for Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
In four seasons with the Saints, Mark Ingram has carried 582 times for 2,426 yards (4.2 YPC) and 20 touchdowns. He's also added 53 receptions for 288 yards and should be the lead back in Sean Payton's system as the Saints shift their offensive identity from pass-happy and up-tempo to more of a balanced approach. In 13 games last season, Ingram had 226 carries for 964 yards and nine touchdowns. Despite the offseason addition of C.J. Spiller, Ingram is a good bet for around 15 carries per game and should receive the majority of the goal line work. Payton knows that 36-year-old Drew Brees can't continue to put the ball in the air 440-plus times a season. With Jimmy Graham now in Seattle, Ingram stands to benefit from Payton's desire to run the ball more frequently than in year's past.
Fantasy Downside
Even if Ingram gets a bump in carries, Payton has always based his running back usage on the situation. Spiller and Khiry Robinson will cut into Ingram's touches, especially Spiller when it comes to screen passes. Only once has Ingram played a full 16-game season, which came in his sophomore campaign of 2012. Just last year he dealt with ankle, toe and shoulder injuries while limited to 13 games.
Bottom Line
Ingram finished as fantasy's No. 15 running back last year and currently ranks as our No. 17 RB for 2015. The addition of Spiller hurts Ingram's value but the team's shift in offensive philosophy gives his outlook a slight bump from last year. If he stays healthy, he projects to receive around 240 carries, which should translate to roughly 900-1,000 yards and 6-8 scores. Those numbers put him in the mid-RB2 category and the middle rounds of your draft.
Week 17: Ingram vs. Bucs
Mark Ingram rushed 13 times for 38 yards with one touchdown and also added three catches for 17 additional yards in the Saints' Week 16 loss to the Falcons. Ingram scored on the first play of the game after Jalen Saunders returned the opening kickoff to Atlanta's 1-yard line. But Ingram was shut down from that point on in what turned into a frustrating game for New Orleans' offense. Ingram should rebound this week against an average Tampa Bay front seven. He's our No. 9 ranked RB for the week. Start him with confidence.
Week 16: Ingram vs. Falcons
Mark Ingram rushed for 59 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries in the Saints’ Week 15 win over the Bears. He was bottled up for most of the night but saved owners with a 15-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He’ll face an Atlanta defense on Sunday that he rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns against in Week 1 this season. He ranks as our No. 10 overall RB for Week 16 and should be considered a low-end RB1.
Week 15: Ingram vs. Bears
Mark Ingram rushed 10 times for 43 yards and caught two passes for an addition 13 yards in the Saints’ Week 14 loss to the Panthers. Ingram lost a fumble early in the first quarter, which helped set the tone for what turned out to be a miserable day for the Saints. He remains the clear RB1 in New Orleans (Sean Payton didn’t use a committee, even with Khiry Robinson back from injury), but Ingram and the Saints’ offense has been sporadic this season. That said, the Saints have a great matchup on Monday night versus a brutal Chicago defense that’s been handing out fantasy points all season. Ingram is our No. 11 overall RB in standard leagues this year, so view him as a high-end RB2.
Week 14: Ingram vs. Panthers
Mark Ingram rushed for 122 yards on 23 carries in the Saints’ Week 13 win over the Steelers. Drew Brees took away Ingram’s scoring opportunities by throwing five touchdown passes but it was still a nice bounce back performance by the New Orleans’ running back after he posted a 11-22-0 stat line the week before. With a decent matchup this Sunday against the Panthers, Ingram ranks as our No. 9 overall RB for Week 14 and should be viewed as a low-end RB1.
Week 13: Ingram vs. Steelers
Mark Ingram rushed 11 times for just 27 yards and added two catches for an additional 15 yards in the Saints' Week 12 loss to the Ravens. Frustrated fantasy owners had to watch Ingram get stopped short of the goal line on multiple occasions throughout the game, including on the Saints' opening drive when he was stuffed on a fourth down run inside the 5-yard line. While the return of Pierre Thomas did cost him touches (the two backs saw an equal split of 11 touches throughout the game), at least fantasy owners can take solace in the fact that Ingram was Sean Payton's red zone back. At No. 14 overall in our Week 13 rankings, Ingram should bounce back this week with RB2 status.
