Week 8 Waiver Wire: Why Fantasy Football Owners Must Add Pierre Thomas

The New Orleans Saints completely annihilated the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, beating them 62-7. While every Saint on the offensive side of the ball had his fair share of contributing to that point total, one running back, Pierre Thomas, emerged as a particularly useful waiver wire fantasy add.

Thomas had a total of 125 yards in the win—57 on the ground and 68 in the air—while seeing only a third of the rushing snaps.

He did get more looks in the fourth quarter after fellow back Mark Ingram left the contest with a bruised heel, and should see increased playing time if the injury causes Ingram to miss next week's game against the St. Louis Rams.

However, even if Ingram is active, that impending Rams game is reason enough to add Thomas to your fantasy roster. The Rams allowed a total of 294 rushing yards in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys, while the Colts allowed a total of 236 yards to the Saints' three backs.

So the odds are good that Thomas can hit that 125-yard mark yet again, regardless of Ingram's playing status. Further, with a number of talented backs on the bye and others injured in Week 7, Thomas, who is owned in just 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues, is an accessible and useful fantasy starter for the first time this season.

While it's pretty safe to say that Thomas and the Saints' running attack won't continue to perform at this high level every week, the fact that he's had such success against the Colts in Week 7 bodes well for his chances against the equally-dismal Rams in Week 8.

If you've a serious need at running back and need a one-week shot in the arm, then Thomas is a recommended fantasy add