Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 14: Pierre Thomas is in a crowded backfield

The New Orleans Saints went to Seattle for a huge matchup against the Seahawks and came back with their tails between their legs.

Running back Pierre Thomas was shut down in a big way. He had no rushing yards on four carries and just 21 receiving yards on four catches. The Seahawks are outstanding, but Thomas was coming in with quite a bit of momentum. In Week 12, he had 73 rushing yards on just 10 carries, adding five receptions for 57 yards.

Things won't get any easier this week. The Saints will host a scorching-hot Carolina Panthers team. The Panthers are shutting down everyone who's carrying a football, ranking second in the NFL in both rushing yards against and rushing TDs allowed. They have given up just three scores on the ground all year.

Fantasy impact: The Saints probably won't even try to run the ball. Their offense is built on Drew Brees and they will live and die by his arm in the huge Sunday Night Football showdown with first-place implications. Thomas isn't a guy to trust in standard leagues, but is a decent flex in PPR formats.