In a game marked by defense and bad weather, the primary New Orleans Saints running backs were not immune from struggles Sunday, as Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles combined for one total fantasy point in a rough day. The backs struggled through the team's 17-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles both held to minimal fantasy production
The two running backs had only 10 rushing yards. Combined. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Thomas had 8 rushing yards on four carries in the game, adding 7 receiving yards on five catches. He was shut out on fantasy scoring for the first time all season. Sproles, meanwhile, had two rushing yards on a single carry, but did have 18 receiving yards on three catches, gaining the duo’s one fantasy point there.
The team's primary running back in Sunday's game was actually Mark Ingram, who ran for 83 yards on 13 carries and caught a pass for seven more. It was Ingram's second-most productive game of the season.
Fantasy impact: Who knows what to expect out of the Saints’ rushing situation at this point. Thomas has been the most reliable rusher this year by most measures, but even he has only three double-digit scoring days. The best bet with the entire crew is just to avoid them in Week 17, and recalibrate for 2014.
