Patriots RB Travaris Cadet is inactive for tonight's opener against the Steelers.  RB LeGarrette Blount is suspended, so Brandon Bolden, Dion Lewis and James White will handle backfield duties.  Our best guess is that Bolden will be the primary early-down back, Lewis will play in passing situations and White will mix in for a handful of touches.  That's just a guess, though.  Your best bet is to avoid Patriots RBs in fantasy lineups this week.

The Patriots have signed RB Travaris Cadet, according to ESPN's Field Yates.  New Orleans surprisingly opted not to tender the restricted free agent, despite cutting Pierre Thomas.  Cadet could never carve out a consistent role in a crowded Saints backfield, but caught 38 balls for 296 yards and a score this past season.  He has a chance replace Shane Vereen as the pass-catching back in New England.  Vereen averaged 4.1 catches per game over the past 2 seasons.  Highlight Cadet as a sleeper in your PPR league.

Saints HC Sean Payton acknowledged this week that RB Darren Sproles is a "unique" talent the team (and league) can't replicate.  But he also said New Orleans expects RB Travaris Cadet to take on some of Sproles' old role -- primarily the pass-catching.  We don't expect Cadet to get anywhere near the 100-target threshold that Sproles surpassed in 2011 and 2012, or even reach the 89 of last season.  But there's plenty of room for Cadet to reach 40 catches if he performs the way Payton seems to expect.  Cadet looks like a potential later-round fantasy football sleeper, especially in PPR drafts.

Saints HC Sean Payton expects RB Travaris Cadet to take on "a little more of that role" that RB Darren Sproles has played the past 3 years.  Sproles averaged 63 carries and 77 catches per season with the Saints.  Cadet is unlikely to approach either of those numbers, though.  He's not as dynamic as Sproles and will be 4th in the pecking order behind Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas.  Cadet is worth monitoring this summer but is unlikely to be more than a late-round flier in PPR drafts.  Thomas is the better candidate to assume some of Sproles' production.