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At 0-2, the New Orleans Saints might be the only team in the NFL that can afford to remain calm in their current predicament. Why? Their offensive firepower is out of this world. For fantasy football owners of Saints players, that’s a good thing. As a testament to their vast depth, playoff-tested running back Khiry Robinson will now take on the workload as the between-the-tackles guy, since starting RB Mark Ingram will be sidelined for at least a month with a fractured hand.
Last year as a rookie, Robinson earned his stripes in the postseason, after he picked up 102 yards and a TD on only 21 attempts over the course of two games. Robinson is a physical running back, so the Saints will leave the versatile tasks to Pierre Thomas, who will keep the defense guessing when he provides relief for Robinson.
After two weeks, it’s clear that the Saints’ running game is a legitimate threat because Ingram was averaging six yards per carry on the ground, and he also scored three rushing TDs in the first two games. With Robinson in the backfield, expect New Orleans to try to keep a great thing going as he’s slated to see a good amount of carries during Ingram’s absence.
If you’re in a PPR League, just remember that Ingram wasn’t used much in the passing game when he was healthy, but he still produced great fantasy numbers (34.5 points in standard leagues). Robinson may not be Ingram, but he could produce respectable numbers in the Saints’ system.
Saints head coach Sean Payton believes that Robinson is ready for the increased workload, and since QB Drew Brees knows how to move the chains on offense, expect Robinson to get some key touches when the Saints approach the goal line against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
With the turnover-prone QB Matt Cassel on the opposite side, I’m sure that Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will have a gameplan that will get his defense off the field early and often. Without Adrian Peterson in the backfield, the Vikings are going to have to throw the ball, so expect bad things to happen, or “good” things if you’re rooting for the Saints.
Brees is a great leader, but if New Orleans wants to limit his mistakes against a Vikings secondary that’s ranked eighth in the league against the pass, coach Payton should trust the run game that’s proved to be effective.
Most 0-2 teams don’t take foolish risks. The Saints will pass the ball a lot, because that’s just what they do. However, Robinson should have ample opportunities to punish the Vikings in the red zone.
I would start him as an RB2 or a flex player in Week 3.
Walton Yeboah-Amoako is a Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @WaltYeboah, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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