Fantasy football rankings 2015: Running backs for PPR leagues, Week 8

There’s a weird juxtaposition when I find myself in a position of defending a player I don’t really like. I mean, I ranked Tom Brady No. 1 this week, and I don’t like Tom Brady, but it’s not like I’m out on a limb, pounding the table, arguing why people should respect Tom Brady’s fantasy potential more. It’s Tom Brady. It’s unanimous.

But, see, I don’t really like Mark Ingram. I’m not even sure why that is. He seems like a nice guy. He has never, as far as I remember, been involved in shenanigans that could/should make him less popular. I’ve just never really been a fan. Maybe it’s his quasi-bust status during his first few seasons, or a general distaste for the Saints, or something about the phonetic appeal of the letters of his name. I don’t know. But I’ve just never rooted for the guy.

And yet, I need to spend this space arguing vehemently why Ingram is just about the most underrated player in all of fantasy football right now.

I’ll start with just 2015. So far this season, Ingram is sixth in all of football in yards from scrimmage with 685, and third among running backs behind Devonta Freeman and Matt Forte. In rushing yards, he’s tenth. In receiving yards by running backs, he’s sixth. Only Freeman has more rushing touchdowns than Ingram. Only Freeman, Jeremy Hill and David Johnson have more touchdowns overall. Ingram has fumbled once despite having the 10^th-most carries in the league.

And, since we’re talking PPR, he’s tied for ninth in targets among running backs, and fifth in receptions.

This offseason, the Saints bolstered their offensive line with the addition of Max Unger. In the same deal, the team shed its top receiving weapon in Jimmy Graham. It all added up in the preseason to reason to believe in Ingram, reason that has held through seven weeks.

In Week 8, Ingram and the Saints play the Giants, who have allowed the 10^th-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, including big games in recent weeks to Darren McFadden, DeMarco Murray and Carlos Hyde.

Khiry Robinson vultured two touchdowns from Ingram in Week 7. Truth be told, I’m a Khiry defender, and if Ingram were to get hurt (admittedly a recurring issue with him, but he’s been healthy all year), I’d have the backup as a top-20 running back. But even with that, Ingram had almost 150 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. He’s averaged just under 13 fantasy points a game, with no fewer than six.

I rank Ingram second among running backs in PPR heading into Week 8. I didn’t think that was particularly crazy until I saw our other rankers’ selections. They have him late in the top 10 -- still an obvious starter, but well below where I see Ingram’s value this week.

So that’s one player. Where do we have the rest of the running backs in PPR heading into Week 8? Head to our rankings.

(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; AM: Andrew Miller; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska. Buffalo, Jacksonville, Philadelphia and Washington are on bye.)

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