Shuffle Up: What do we do with Mark Ingram?

Shuffle Up season is here, my friends. Here’s the idea — how would we rank fantasy players if the season were starting right now?

A few caveats up front. The prices are unscientific in nature, merely used as a way to compare players within their position. I do not compare prices outside of position — a price of a quarterback is only meant to be considered within his positional class. I am generally far less expectant with injury-returning players, so don’t be surprised when I like them less than you do.

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Every Shuffle Up is done from scratch. I think it’s counterproductive to justify an old, dated list. I want my current opinions. I considered a modified PPR scoring system for the field players.
And of course, you’ll disagree with plenty on this list — that’s why we have a game in the first place.

I’ll do quarterbacks and wide receivers in the even weeks, running backs and tight ends for the odd weeks. You can figure out kickers and defenses on your own (keep streaming, streamers; those positions are rarely worth holding for extended periods, and matchups are critical in those streaming decisions).

I reserve the right to edit this list upon the first 24 hours; win the debate, you might win the rank. Commentary will be added shortly.

I courtesy-ranked injured players, marked with an asterisk. I tend to be the least-optimistic guy in the room when it comes to injury comebacks. I’m not going to debate those ranks; you decide what they’re worth to you.

Catch me on Twitter: @scott_pianowski.

Running Backs
$45 David Johnson
$44 Ezekiel Elliott
$42 LeVeon Bell
$42 LeSean McCoy
$40 DeMarco Murray
$36 Todd Gurley
$35 Lamar Miller
$33 Devonta Freeman
$33 Christine Michael
$31 Melvin Gordon
$27 Carlos Hyde
$26 Mark Ingram
$26 Jordan Howard
$25 Spencer Ware
$21 Terrance West

Sean Payton’s flair around the goal line is killing Ingram. One week, it’s three John Kuhn touchdowns. Another week, it’s Coby Fleener running in a jet sweep on fourth-and-goal. Ingram’s been less efficient with his touches, we can’t ignore that, but he’s also guaranteed 15-20 weekly touches in a productive offense. I’ve moved him down, sure, but let’s not be ridiculous about it. It might be a reasonable time to inquire about his adjusted trade cost.

[Week 7 rankings: Overall | FLEX | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K]

Until further notice, it sure looks like Ware is the baton-holder in the KC offense, the primary guy, the back who’s indepedent of game flow. Are the Chiefs going to risk high-touch counts with Charles? Are they comfortable closing a game with him, or using him on a sloppy track? And heck, what’s been wrong with Ware, other than three fumbles? Those 5.3 YPC backs don’t fall out of trees, and he can run everything in the KC playbook. And now the schedule really gets fun, with New Orleans and Indianapolis on the docket.

$17 Isaiah Crowell
$17 C.J. Anderson
$17 Tevin Coleman
$15 Jamaal Charles
$15 Theo Riddick
$15 Jonathan Stewart
$14 LeGarrette Blount
$13 Giovani Bernard
$13 Matt Jones
$13 Frank Gore
$13 *Doug Martin
$12 Ryan Mathews
$12 Jerick McKinnon
$11 Jay Ajayi
$11 Duke Johnson
$11 Jeremy Hill
$11 *Latavius Murray

McKinnon still looks like a buy low to me, despite two disappointment games in three starts before the bye. Minnesota’s offensive line has struggled, but sometimes those units jell as the season goes along. Matt Asiata will be used in a secondary role and perhaps at the goal, but he’s not built for an featured gig. Minnesota’s oustanding defense will keep the game flow in a good place. And McKinnon’s athletic profile certainly leaps off the page.

I expect Ajayi to get a chance to shine again in Week 7, but keep in mind how much Miami panned Ajayi before the season. The Dolphins danced with free agent C.J. Anderson, they drafted Kenyan Drake, they added Arian Foster. It’s like they’re doing everything possible to ensure that Ajayi not become a thing.

A handful of people seem to like Gore more than I do. I can’t look past the age, the mileage, the lousy offensive line. Yes, Gore has the backfield to himself, and that projectable workload is a good thing. But I don’t want to imply there’s much ceiling here.

Looks like Doug Martin won’t be back this week after all, with the juicy Niners on the docket, no less. Get me to rewrite. New prices: Martin $13, Jacquizz Rodgers $10. And with any extended injury, we’re just tilting at windmills. Say this for Rodgers, in his limited Week 7 resume, he’s carrying a very high success rate.

I’ve never been a big Jonathan Stewart guy, but I wonder if the Panthers might be willing to pull back a little bit on Cam Newton as a goal-line runner. Newton had just two rushes in the New Orleans game, though one of them was a late touchdown. Obviously the Panthers are unlikely to disclose their plans to us, and Carolina rests in Week 7.

$10 Jacquizz Rodgers
$9 Matt Forte
$8 James White
$8 Chris Ivory
$6 T.J. Yeldon
$6 Devontae Booker
$5 Matt Asiata
$5 Rashad Jennings
$5 Bilal Powell
$5 Kenneth Dixon
$4 Darren Sproles
$4 Derrick Henry
$4 Bobby Rainey
$3 DeAndre Washington
$3 Chris Thompson
$3 Mike Gillislee
$3 Knile Davis
$3 Arian Foster
$3 *Eddie Lacy
$3 Jalen Richard
$3 DeAngelo Williams
$3 Thomas Rawls
$3 Don Jackson

I am not someone will gives out the cheap “stash everybody, handcuff everybody” advice but Gillislee is mandatory for any McCoy owner, and a solid stash for any upside-hunter even if you don’t own McCoy . . . Davis has some spark-fun on his resume, but his YPC stunk in Kansas City, and it wasn’t on an insignificant amount of work. I’d be surprised if he did much of note in Green Bay . . . The Tuesday news cycle wasn’t kind to Lacy, and I’d be surprised if he played anytime soon. Everyone tends to be more optimistic about injuries than I am. If you have a reason to sing a shiny-happy song on Lacy’s return, that’s fine, but I’m never going to play that way.

$2 Mike Davis
$2 Alfred Morris
$2 Robert Kelley
$2 Dwayne Washington
$2 *Dion Lewis
$2 Cameron Artis-Payne
$1 Josh Ferguson
$1 Travaris Cadet
$1 KaDeem Carey
$1 Wendell Smallwood
$1 Shaun Draughn

Tight Ends
$35 Rob Gronkowski
$32 Greg Olsen
$24 Jimmy Graham
$22 *Jordan Reed
$20 Martellus Bennett
$17 Travis Kelce
$17 Delanie Walker
$16 Kyle Rudolph
$14 Hunter Henry

I thought Antonio Gates had one Ibanez All-Star season left in him, but I’d like to burn all that preseason stuff now. Henry is the rare exception to the rules about rookie tight ends. He’s pushing San Diego’s wide receivers down the food chain, too.
$14 Coby Fleener
$12 Gary Barnidge
$12 *Tyler Eifert
$11 Zach Miller
$11 Cameron Brate
$9 Dennis Pitta
$9 Julius Thomas
$8 Jack Doyle
$7 Charles Clay
$7 Zach Ertz
$7 C.J. Fiedorowicz

I can’t guarantee Fiedorowicz will be heard from in Denver, but he’s coming off three outstanding games and he gets Detroit in Week 8, a tight-end giveaway. He’s also a big and trustable target for Brock Osweiler, and the Houston passing game needs anything it can hang its hat on.

Doyle is a ham-and-egger, but his role surely will expand with Allen out, and the Indianapolis wideouts (other than T.Y. Hilton) have been great disappointments. Those Andrew Luck touchdowns have to go to somebody . . . Brate should be in for a meatier role now that Vincent Jackson is completely out of the way in Tampa Bay . . . Although Pitta is second in tight-end receptions, he only has four red-zone targets and has yet to score a touchdown . . . If you need a boring five catches a week, with no touchdown likely, Clay is your guy. But Buffalo’s overall passing volume is likely to be disappointing every week. The Bills know what their preferred blueprint is.

$6 Jason Witten
$5 Eric Ebron
$4 *Ladarius Green
$3 Jesse James
$3 Antonio Gates
$3 Vernon Davis
$2 Virgil Green
$2 Jacob Tamme
$2 Clive Walford
$2 Ryan Griffin
$1 Lance Kendricks
$1 Larry Donnell
$1 Vance McDonald
$1 Jared Cook
$1 Dwayne Allen
$1 Jordan Cameron
$1 Josh Hill
$1 Richard Rodgers