2013 Fantasy Football RB to Avoid: New Orleans Saints' Pierre Thomas

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

As you prepare for your fantasy football draft happening real soon, it is imperative that you do some research and find a few players that you are comfortable and confident with. The same goes for the exact opposite, although that’s sometimes tough to do.

Finding guys that you can honestly say you are not confident in, is sometimes a difficult task. However, it is important to do that sort of research before your draft. Otherwise, you may be picking players solely on your fantasy website’s rankings — which could be very dangerous.

At times, it is appropriate to draft best available. Other times, that’s the exact thing you should not do. There is strategy involved in this game; a lot of it. You have to find those guys that could be deep sleepers if you’re in a larger draft, but then the same goes for those guys that should not be taken.

New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas is a guy you want to avoid this year. With the Saints mainly stressing the passing game, Drew Brees will more than likely approach 5,000 yards this year in effort to show that last season was a fluke. The Saints are not a running team, nor do they have a solidified number-one back.

Heck, one of their feature backs doesn’t even run the ball. Darren Sproles operates almost always in the passing game, not receiving many carries. It’s just how New Orleans plays — they pass the ball.

With Mark Ingram also splitting the very few carries New Orleans gives out, there are three backs that regularly get time. If I’m looking at Ingram as a potential late-round steal, I am dead wrong. Avoid him at all costs. In fact, avoid both he and Ingram. The only back worth grabbing in New Orleans will be Sproles because of his constant activity in the passing game.

Thomas is not a true number one back, nor can he handle the load if it was given to him. He won’t get enough carries to merit solid fantasy value in 2013, so steer clear and do not pick him up.

Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.