New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas appears poised to return from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of game action for the last four weeks.
Depending on which players you own, this is both good and bad news for fantasy owners. Mark Ingram has been on a tear since Thomas and Khiry Robinson went down. What should fantasy owners expect from the Saints backfield going forward?
"After a four-game injury layoff, Thomas appears to be healthy and ready to go," wrote Evan Woodberry of the Times-Picayune. "Mark Ingram, who has rushed for 459 yards during that same four-game stretch, should still be the primary ball-carrier. But Thomas offers the Saints more options on third down, on play-action passes and the screen game."
Thomas is still valuable in PPR leagues. He recorded two double digit fantasy games in his first six before going down with an injury. But considering how well Ingram has played, it's safe to assume that he'll still be the lead back once everyone is finally healthy.
"[I]f we're talking about the next few weeks in general, I think Mark Ingram will continue to get the lion's share of the rushes and goal-line touches," ESPN's Mike Triplett wrote. "So maybe something like 4-5 carries per game for Thomas, plus a healthy dose of receptions? Thomas will likely cut even more into Travaris Cadet 's workload. The bigger question is what will happen if/when Khiry Robinson comes back from his arm injury."
"That's tougher to predict since Robinson plays a similar role as Ingram and because Robinson was also thriving when he was in the lineup. We still don't have a good timetable on Robinson's recovery, though he must have either suffered a setback or opted for surgery, since he seemed closer to returning a few weeks ago. I've got to imagine that Ingram's success has been a bit of an eye-opener for coach Sean Payton, who can't ignore the fact that Ingram has gotten into such a nice rhythm with his high volume of carries. So I'd expect Ingram to still be the clear leader in the backfield, getting 15-plus touches. But Robinson's too good to keep on the bench if he's fully healthy. That's why they call it a 'good problem to have.'"
Thomas has 30 carries for 133 yards (4.4 YPC) and two touchdowns with 26 catches for 204 yards and one touchdown in six games. Ingram has 138 carries for 618 yards (4.5 YPC) and six touchdowns.
The Saints will take on the Baltimore Ravens tonight on "Monday Night Football."
