What is Mark Ingram's fantasy value?

Week 8 was a frightening development for fantasy owners of New Orleans Saints RB Mark Ingram, who totaled just five yards on three attempts against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. After losing a fourth-quarter fumble last week against Kansas City, he coughed up the ball in the first quarter Sunday and was benched for the rest of the game by head coach Sean Payton.

In his place, Payton turned to 30-year-old Tim Hightower, who led many to fantasy championships last year, finished the day with 26 carries and 102 yards. He would have had a monster fantasy day but the Seattle defense stopped him on five goal-line carries.

The biggest concern is the 26 attempts Hightower received. Ingram's highest total in a single this year is just 18, and he has seen as few as nine back in Week 2. However, Hightower's workload wasn't a complete surprise. In the final four weeks of 2015, Hightower had carry totals of 28, 13, 27, and 16.

At this point, Payton's blatant lack of trust in Ingram is crushing his fantasy value. Drafted as an RB1 in the second and third rounds, Ingram has been a bust, accumulating just 337 yards on 89 attempts. While Ingram remains a functional fantasy running back, he's officially stuck in mid-tier RB2 range with a weekly projection of 13-18 carries and 70 yards.

Should you trade Ingram?

Trading Ingram is an option owners need to consider. With half the fantasy season gone by, Ingram has provided owners with just two strong weeks of production. All signs point to his value continuing to depreciate, so getting out now makes sense.

If you're ready to deal Ingram, look to acquire a fellow buy-low candidate at WR. Three names to consider are Doug Baldwin, Alshon Jeffery, and Allen Robinson. Selling a depreciating asset like Ingram may be difficult and may require you to take on more risk than you would prefer. Get ready for some tough negotiations.

Is Hightower worth picking up?

For the people who scooped up Hightower late last year and rode him to victory, you may be tempted to employ the same strategy. While Hightower remains a handcuff in case of injury, an uptick in workload is now feasible.

But even with a few more carries, Hightower is going to be hard pressed to routinely crack fantasy lineups. He had been averaging just 3.1 carries prior to his breakout against Seattle, so an increase in carries would likely see him receive just 10 or so total touches. That workload simply isn't enough to warrant weekly consideration.

That's not to say that Hightower doesn't warrant a waiver claim, though. With his value on the rise, Hightower is one of the top handcuffs available. The best strategy is to stash him on your bench in hopes of another late-season run.