In the team's first game since putting starting running back Mark Ingram on injured reserve, the New Orleans Saints turned to Tim Hightower as their primary running back Sunday. Hightower responded with almost 100 yards and a score in the Saints' 24-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fantasy football waiver wire advice: Tim Hightower dominates carries for Saints
The New Orleans running back was more quantity than quality Sunday. We break down the fantasy implications.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Hightower had 85 rushing yards and a score on 28 carries in the game, adding one reception for 10 yards. Behind him, C.J. Spiller had only three carries, netting only two yards. It was Hightower's first game with meaningful action since 2011; he was out of the league from 2012 through 2014.
Fantasy impact: Hightower wasn’t exactly a dynamic runner in Sunday’s game, averaging just a hair over one yard per carry. Still, on a team without many running back options, he got 28 carries -- even a middling running back can tally numbers with that many carries.
Spiller clearly isn’t a big part of the Saints’ game plan going forward; if he were going to see a big leap in carries, it would have been Sunday. Hightower, owned in 41 percent of Yahoo! fantasy leagues as of Sunday night, will get just about as many carries as he can handle the rest of the way. He’s a low-end RB2 going forward.
