Pierre Thomas may lose carries, gain catches

RB Pierre Thomas played in exactly 50 percent of the Saints' regular-season snaps. And he could potentially play a similar role this year, even with younger backs Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson and Travaris Cadet clamoring for more snaps.

Now that Sproles is gone, Thomas should be featured heavily in the Saints' passing formations since he's their best receiver out of the backfield and their most reliable pass protector. He may lose some rushing yards but gain receiving yards as his role shifts slightly.

Thomas racked up 224 touches for 1,062 yards and five TDs as the lead back in the 2013 version of the Saints’ committee at running back. With Darren Sproles gone, Thomas’s catches aren’t likely to take much of a hit (though Travaris Cadet should see some of Sproles’s work). The team has shown signs of moving to Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson more in the running game, so PT is not likely to push 150 carries again in 2014. Still, he’ll be a regular part of the rotation in a potent offense and should be a good value in the later rounds. In PPR formats, he has finished in the top 30 in PPG in five of the last six seasons.