PPR Help- Darren Sproles

With seven receptions on nine targets last night in Green Bay, Darren Sproles’ fantasy value is on the rise.

Analysis: As much as all the experts want to label the Saints a “balanced offense” they’re not. Forty-nine passes to twenty-one rushes is not balanced.

Mark Ingram was the guy that was supposed to give the Saints “balance” but he only carried the ball thirteen times and did not even register a target let alone a reception in the opener. Pierre Thomas who is a solid receiving back and has a few thirty reception years in his career only managed four catches on five targets. It appears the Saints have a plan for Darren Sproles and that is to get the little athlete out in space and stretch the defense as much as possible. When the Saints used Reggie Bush they did so as a decoy more than anything, this year Sproles is a legit threat. Sproles was on the end of two carries and only put up eighty-two yards from scrimmage but the damage was done in PPR leagues. Sproles is coming off of 59 and 45 reception years with the Chargers and may reach the seventy reception mark this year with the Saints. He is available is some PPR leagues and over half of standard leagues. While he may serve as the second best “bench back” on your squad in standard leagues, his performance Thursday night was impressive. Seventy receptions this year is possible and you can thank the Saints “balance” for those numbers.

Draft Impact- Mark Ingram

The Saints’ selection of Mark Ingram with the 28th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft was certainly a curveball in the fantasy world.

Analysis: As talented as Pierre Thomas is he hasn’t carried the rock 150 times in a season, ever. He’s a solid option in PPR leagues but he also hasn’t played a full sixteen games in a season either. Enter rookie Chris Ivory last year and you have a solid 225 pound goal line back who on 137 carries averaged 5.2 yards per carry. However, there are two big question marks with Ivory. How well will he recover from surgery to repair his Lisfranc injury and can he get his fumble issues under control (4 fumbles, 2 lost, 137 carries)? We all know Mark Ingram has protected the ball better than anyone in college football in recent memory and his hands are solid for third down passing situations. The questions with Ingram will be how many touches will he be on the end of and where should he go in fantasy drafts? Like many rookies he will go way before he should in fantasy drafts, but on the positive side he should get 160-180 carries and maintain value in PPR leagues.

Projection: He’s not quite a RB3 yet but he should be good for 750 rushing yards, 300 receiving yards and seven scores. His upside will be when Thomas gets injured, so he’s a great back for your bench.