New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower, who hadn't played since 2011 before this year, will once again by a starting NFL running back this week, as the Saints have named him the starter in the wake of placing Mark Ingram on injured reserve earlier in the week. C.J. Spiller will be the backup/change-of-pace back.
Tim Hightower to start for New Orleans; fantasy owners should watch and monitor
With Mark Ingram on injured reserve, the Saints will turn to Tim Hightower first. We break down the fantasy implications.
Hightower has played in four games this year, though 11 of his 12 carries, and 46 of his 48 yards, came in the team’s Week 10 loss to Washington. He gets the start Sunday based on reports of his superior pass-blocking ability over Spiller.
Fantasy impact: Incredibly, Hightower could be in line to be a significant fantasy contributor over the season’s last four weeks. Reports have him basically filling the Ingram role, with Spiller’s workload “likely to be unchanged,” according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
The takeaway from this is that Spiller, who has been worth ignoring in fantasy all season, is basically still fine to ignore. Hightower, though, is very interesting. The best idea is to let him ride the bench for Week 14, but make sure he’s rostered, because a big Week 14 could make him a prime plug-and-play candidate for the rest of the season. For a guy who hasn’t played since 2011, there’s a chance at a big comeback for the 29-year-old running back.
