Alvin Kamara’s knee injury is set to cost him a second consecutive game. With Kamara out, can fantasy football managers once again trust Mark Ingram in lineups?
Someone should tell Mark Ingram it’s dangerous to mess with time
The only explanation I have for Ingram’s 2021 resurgent fantasy value is time travel. The New Orleans Saints let Ingram go after the 2018 season because Ingram was 29 years old and declining in ability.
Ingram had a renaissance in Baltimore at age 30, but he completely fell off in 2020 at age 31. To the point where head coach John Harbaugh made Ingram a healthy inactive down the stretch and in the playoffs. Ingram was no longer good enough to play in the NFL.
He did not retire, though. Instead, Ingram signed with the Texans and spent seven weeks continuing to be ineffective. This is a long-winded way of saying the Ingram trade to the Saints in Week 8 must be a past version of Ingram — because there’s no way it’s the same guy that’s been done for two years.
Ingram touched the ball 8 times in his first game with the Saints and 14 times in his second game. He went right back into the role he had in 2018 playing alongside Kamara.
Maybe I just wanted to make a time travel joke because Ingram actually hasn’t been that good
While his production certainly sparks memories of the good ol’ days, this is not the same Ingram. Last week, when thrust into a feature role, Ingram managed just 47 yards on 14 carries. The efficiency is not coming back, but does that matter if the volume is there?
Volume is king
All kidding aside, Ingram remains a shell of his former self, and it just doesn’t matter at all. Last week, without Kamara, Ingram played 85% of the offensive snaps. He saw 14 carries and 7 targets, totaled over 100 yards, and rushed for a touchdown.
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The Saints have always utilized their running backs in the passing game. This dates back all the way to Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. In Week 9, Ingram saw 5 targets with Kamara healthy. He doesn’t need to be efficient if he’s carrying the ball 10-12 times and being targeted 5-7 times.
Should fantasy managers start Ingram in Week 11?
To answer this question, I’ll direct you to Daniel Bryan. This is one of those situations where you just need to not overthink it. Sure, it feels wrong to be starting Ingram in the year 2021, let alone doing so with confidence. However, this is the game we play. We see what’s happening on the field, and we react accordingly.
Ingram is undoubtedly getting the volume. There are very few backs incapable of being useful fantasy assets with this level of usage. Additionally, the Eagles allow the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs. For those of you concerned over the Saints missing two starting offensive linemen, let me assuage those fears.
The Saints are coming off a tough road loss against the Titans, but I expect them to bounce back this week against the Eagles. As long as this game is competitive, we will see a lot of Ingram on the ground. Taysom Hill is questionable with a foot injury and may not play. Ty Montgomery is out. Thus, Ingram is going to handle all the work he can.
He’s also immune to game script because even if the Saints trail, Ingram will just get a bunch of dump-offs. I fail to see any realistic scenario where Ingram isn’t a volume monster this week. Even if he’s incredibly inefficient, 50 total yards and 3-4 receptions feels like a lock. At bare minimum, that has Ingram in RB3 territory. If he plays well or finds the end zone, he’s almost certain to provide RB2 value or better. Start Ingram.
