The San Francisco 49ers host the New Orleans Saints this week, and we get to see what the bye week does for San Francisco’s atrocious run defense. The players have been off for a week, while the coaches likely have mixed time off with preparing for the Saints. The game plan will likely see some adjustments, but I am skeptical that it can overcome the 49ers lack of talent to stop the run.
If that ends up being the case, it could make Tim Hightower an extremely interesting fantasy football option. Hightower got a significant opportunity in Week 8 after Sean Payton benched Mark Ingram following a fumble. Ingram rushed three times for -9 yards and a fumble before sitting the rest of the game. Hightower came on and rushed 26 times for 102 yards. That 3.92 yards per carry is a little below the league average, but it was enough to help the offense overcome the Seattle Seahawks.
Odds are pretty good Ingram will be back in the Saints starting lineup on Sunday against the 49ers. Ingram is not available in most fantasy football leagues, but Hightower remains available. In Yahoo! leagues, he is only owned in four percent of leagues.
He has little long-term value as more than a handcuff to Ingram, but this week against the 49ers, he could be an interesting lottery ticket. The 49ers have been run over by opposing running backs, with reserves getting in on the success. In Week 7, Jacquizz Rodgers led the Buccaneers with 154 rushing yards, while backup Peyton Barber added 84 and a touchdown In Week 6, LeSean McCoy ran over the 49ers to the tune of 140 yards and three touchdowns, while backup Mike Gillislee added 61 and a touchdown. Andre Ellington did not do much behind David Johnson in Week 5, but in Week 4, Alfred Morris added 34 yards behind Ezekiel Elliott.
Adding Hightower to your lineup is far from a sure thing. It is a suggestion primarily if your lineup has issues due to the six teams on bye in Week 9, or if you are dealing with significant injury issues right now. Hightower could serve as a potential flex or RB2 if you are incredibly short-handed. But if you are left starting someone like Hightower, the 49ers defense provides some reason to hope for a solid backup performance.