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The New Orleans Saints have a plethora of talent on offense. A superstar quarterback and tight end, excellent wide receivers who can catch pretty much anything and All-Pro running backs. In a sea of talented players, there is one that was quiet for most of 2013 that could have a bigger role next year — Khiry Robinson.
Robinson wasn’t featured much early in the season. He had just 34 carries in the first 12 weeks of the season. He had 20 in the last four, including 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17. Robinson’s lone touchdown came in Week 6 in a game where he rushed for a season-high 53 yards.
The Saints already have three running backs ahead of Robinson on the depth chart — Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram, which makes finding time for Robinson very tough for the coaching staff. Though, Head Coach Sean Payton did find him some time in the NFC Wild Card game on Saturday. Robinson was trusted late in the fourth quarter, rushing eight times for 45 yards as the Saints defeated the Philadelphia Eagles.
While Robinson is practically undraftable in standard 10-team leagues, he is a great option in deeper leagues. He finished as the 80th-best fantasy running back with 23 fantasy points. In a 16-team league, there are usually five running backs drafted per team (80 total), which would make Robinson the last running back drafted.
He can also find fantasy value in keeper and dynasty leagues. Sproles will be 31 when the 2014 season begins. Yet, he still plays an integral part in the Saints offense, especially the passing game. However, if one of the backs go down with an injury, which has happened this season, Robinson will see an increased amount of carries. When the head coach trusts you in critical moments, the sky is the ceiling.
Bill Pivetz is a fantasy football writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @Mr_Piv1127.
