If you’re still holding onto C.J. Spiller in any of your redraft leagues, congratulations – you have more patience than me! The former Buffalo Bills running back currently only has 12 rushes for 41 yards for the Saints this season through five games. He has been slightly more effective in the passing game with 15 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown.
Despite Spiller’s lack of production on the football field, coach Sean Payton continues to express a desire to get him more involved.
"He's one of our weapons that we need to look closely at finding touches," Payton said, according the the New Orleans Times-Picayne. "If you look at the running game and the passing game, he's a guy that can make a lot of things happen with the ball in his hands. We have to do a better job that way."
Unfortunately for Spiller owners, the Saints simply do not need him because starting running back Mark Ingram has been so effective. Ingram has 88 rushes for 307 yards and four touchdowns. He has also been effective in the passing game with 27 receptions for 230 yards.
As strange as it may seem, the problem with the 2-4 Saints hasn’t been their rushing attack. Instead, it has been Drew Brees and the passing game that has struggled thus far this season.
Spiller is nowhere near the fantasy football radar right now. Hold onto him if you want in PPR leagues, but if you have to start him you already know you’re likely going to lose. I would only recommend holding onto him in dynasty leagues.
As for Ingram, he can be considered a RB1 in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts.
In other running back news, San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde now says that he’s dealing with a stress fracture in his foot. Despite the injury Hyde has no plans to miss any playing time.
Hyde currently has 115 rushes for 470 yards and three touchdowns. In the passing game he has hauled in 11 receptions for 53 yards.
After his Week 1 performance against the Minnesota Vikings, Hyde looked like a must-start RB1 in all fantasy football formats. In that game he had 26 carries for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately he has been his only 100-yard rushing game of the season thus far.
Hyde can be considered a RB2 going forward.
Hyde hasn’t been rushing with the same intensity that he showed in the 49ers’ season opener. If the foot injury is bothering him that much, the team should consider letting him sit out for a week or two.