The New Orleans Saints are going to want to win in order to ensure a spot in the playoffs and they'll have to take on a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 17: Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas could be a messy situation
The Saints’ running back situation hasn’t become any clearer. Should you start any of them in Week 17 for fantasy football?
Grant Halverson
The Bucs nearly upset the Saints in Week 2 thanks to their defense, which held Drew Brees and Co. to just 16 points. The scoring had nothing to do with the running backs, however. The unit accounted for just 75 yards on 20 carries, although Darren Sproles added six receptions for 36 yards in that game.
Fantasy impact: Sproles is really the most interesting aspect of the running back corps. His numbers have taken a nose dive, though. He has just 53 touches in the last seven games vs. his 66 during the first half, while the Saints as an offense have dropped off in the process. Plus, his yards per catch has taken a severe drop with just 6.3 in his team’s last seven games compared to 10.2 in the first half. He’s not an option in standard leagues and is only a low-end RB2 in PPR formats.
Pierre Thomas hasn't been reliable enough to use, so fantasy owners should be looking elsewhere.
• Week 17 fantasy football position rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
