Everyone has principles. There’s something you believe so strongly, you will stand up to the tide, you will resist when the masses preach otherwise, a belief so strong you would be willing to martyr yourself in support.
Well, maybe the Madman isn’t ready to be a martyr, but we very well might sacrifice some of our fantasy rosters for a belief. And that belief in which we believe so strongly is a lack of belief in Mark Ingram.
Heading into the season, that wasn’t so much the case. Ingram was coming off his best season. He was involved in the passing game. He was the goal-line guy. He finally had become the premier running back many thought he would be when he arrived in New Orleans in 2011.
Yes, we knew of his extensive injury history, and took that into account. But RB is a volatile position, in which many (most?) backs will miss time at some point during the season. What didn’t concern us at the time was his production when on the field.
Whoops. To put it bluntly, that ain’t the case anymore. Through Week 8, he had zero 100-yard games and one lonely touchdown. It was in Week 8 against the Seahawks when Ingram, after three carries for 5 yards and a fumble, was benched for Tim Hightower. But it wasn’t just that benching. It was John Kuhn stealing goal-line carries weeks prior to that. It was Travaris Cadet cutting into the passing game. It was what felt like a genuine mistrust of Ingram by the Saints coaching staff.
So we bailed on Ingram. All the signs pointed to him going the way of Jeremy Langford in Chicago, or Matt Jones in Washington, or Christine Michael in Seattle (now on the Packers after being cut by the Seahawks).
But Ingram still is plugging away, with 146 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown and one catch for a 21-yard score Sunday. In the four games since his Week 8 benching, Ingram has dwarfed Hightower’s rushing production — Ingram has averaged 8.13 yards per carry (47-382 with two TDs), Hightower 3.93 (58-228 with one TD).
So time to buy back in on Ingram, right? Well, look no further than the Eagles RB situation this year, or virtually any Patriots RB scenario before this season, or any number of needlessly confusing backfield in recent years. Some teams can’t be trusted to do what makes sense, what looks obvious, or what seems logical. And we don’t trust Sean Payton and the Saints coaching staff with our fantasy backfield.
We sold those Ingram shares we could weeks ago. Others, we parked on the bench. A few, we had to cut outright in difficult bye-week situations. And we don’t regret it. Sometimes, you have to stick with what you believe, and we don’t believe Ingram can be trusted. This is a stance on which the Madman won’t budge, even if it means martyring some of our fantasy teams along the way.
Go get ’em
Trevor Siemian, QB, Broncos
His big game against the Chiefs might not be an anomaly. Upcoming opponents include the Jaguars, Titans, Patriots and Chiefs again — and Raiders, if your league plays in Week 17.
Jameis Winston, QB, Buccaneers
It’s been a few weeks since he went off, but the Chargers, Saints (twice), Cowboys and Panthers (Week 17) remain. We count four potentially strong weeks in that mix.
Kenneth Dixon, RB, Ravens
His role keeps increasing ever so slightly. With the Ravens fighting for a playoff spot, they’re going to need their best players on the field. Expect that share of the workload to increase.
Marquess Wilson, WR, Bears
Remember when Brian Hoyer made Cameron Meredith a fantasy gem for a few weeks? Well, it looks like newest Bears QB Matt Barkley might share a similar connection with Wilson (8-125, one TD on 11 targets Sunday).
Gotta bail
Blake Bortles, QB, Jaguars
He has been a disappointment all season. Next three games are vs. the Broncos, Vikings and at the Texans. That’s not a stretch that offers a lot of opportunity for improvement.
Carson Palmer, QB, Cardinals
Another ongoing downer. If he can’t light up the Falcons pass defense, then when will he have a big game? Week 15 vs. the Saints?
Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Patriots
A lot of fantasy owners are going to bid high on this guy. But the Pats spread the ball around too much to get overly excited. Yeah, he has scored three TDs the past two weeks, but healthy tight ends will eat into his looks.
Corey Coleman, WR, Browns
He might get you another cheap TD or two along the way, but if you’re expecting early-season-type production from him, sorry, it’s not happening. Blame Terrelle Pryor Sr.