Fantasy Upside
Mark Ingram rushed for 769 yards and six touchdowns on 166 carries over 12 games for the Saints last season. He also caught a career-high 50 passes for 405 yards after having caught just 53 passes in his four seasons prior. That production led to Ingram finishing as fantasy's RB15, and if he retains his role in the Saints' passing game, he'll have appeal as a low-end RB1 in 2016. It's unlikely Ingram will face fierce competition from C.J. Spiller, who reportedly is still behind Tim Hightower in the Saints running back rotation. Thus, Sean Payton could be forced to lean on Ingram yet again in 2016.
Fantasy Downside
The biggest threat to Ingram's fantasy potential is his inability to stay healthy. He was having a solid 2015 season before suffering an AC sprain during a Week 10 game against the Redskins. He suffered the same injury in a December matchup with the Panthers and landed on injured reserve after having surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. Ingram should be healthy for training camp, but he has played in all 16 games just once in his career.
2016 Bottom Line
Health is always a concern with Ingram, who will likely miss a game or two based on his injury history. But he proved he can be effective in the passing game and is a good bet for 900-950 rushing yards and 7-10 touchdowns, while adding 45-50 receptions for 350-400 receiving yards and another 3-5 scores. Ingram currently ranks as our RB8, and is a value at his current third-round ADP.