Mark Ingram's workload has been on the decline recently, and his share of the Saints' offensive snaps has fallen in each of his last three games. He was benched after fumbling in Week 8, and he played only 6 snaps compared to 47 for Tim Hightower. Hightower saw a huge 26 carries in that game, turning them into a solid 102 yards against a Seattle Seahawks defense that our metrics have as the third-strongest run defense in the league.

This week's matchup against the San Francisco 49ers is on the other side of the spectrum.

San Francisco's high-tempo and poor results have lead to their defense allowing the most rushing attempts to opposing running backs. The 49ers are allowing top-five fantasy production to the position while ranking 24th in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play.

Hightower isn't a lock for a big workload, but the potential that he tallies a solid number of carries in one of the best fantasy matchups possible for running backs makes him an appealing fantasy option despite the risk.