Geaux Saints!
The NFL has seen its share of amazing stories through the years, but none may have captivated a country more than the New Orleans Saints post-Katrina run to a Super Bowl title. Anchored by an explosive offense full of dynamic players, this ex-doormat is now an elite franchise in fantasy and reality. The people of New Orleans certainly deserved something to cheer for and the Saints are coming pretty close to knocking off the Cowboys as “America’s Team.” So, what does the future hold for this offensive juggernaut from a fantasy perspective? There’s a lot to love here and many of these players will likely win you some deaux in your dynasty leagues for years to come. Let’s geaux take a look in today’s dynasty capsule.
Players in their Prime
Drew Brees QB
Brees is one of the true elite signal callers in both the NFL and in fantasy football. Owning Brees gives you a chance to win each every week. He should still have quite a few years of elite fantasy production left in him and outside of Aaron Rodgers, there’s likely no better choice at QB. Having Brees gives you a chance to win three or four titles in a reaux. His owners will take a repeat of 4,388 yards and 34 TDs any year.
Marques Colston WR
Colston may be the biggest driving factor behind these articles. He’s certainly one of the greatest waiver wire pickups of all-time and we constantly talk about finding the next “Colston” as we attempt to uncover those sleepers. As the premier WR in this explosive offense, he’s a good bet for 1,000 yards or more every season and should hover around 10 TDs every year for the foreseeable future. There’s a lot to like in having him as your No. 1 WR, altheaux I’d rather have him as an elite No. 2.
Devery Henderson WR
Henderson will likely never hit it as big as many of us had hoped. He’s serviceable as a spot starter for a team and his 51 catch, 804 yard season is about as much as you could hope for. If you’re sitting around and hoping for him to explode, you’re likely in for some disappointment. He is what he is, but still sits in the prime of his career.
Rising Players
Pierre Thomas RB
Many fantasy owners wanted more from Thomas than the 793 yards and 6 TDs he produced last year, and justifiably so. I believe they’re going to get it this year. With Mike Bell out of the mix and Reggie Bush clearly not a big part of the conventional running game, the stars are now finally aligned for Thomas to greaux and finally maximize his potential. He’s a buy low candidate in dynasty circles right now.
Robert Meachem WR
Outside of Thomas, there may not have been a more frustrating Saint to own over the past couple of years. His talent is undeniable, but so is his inconsistency. Most fantasy owners would be content with 722 yards and 9 TDs from their No. 3 or No. 4 WR, but Meachem has the ability to produce much more. I’d love to have him in teaux for all my fantasy teams as a No. 3 or No. 4 WR with upside.
Players with Falling Values
Reggie Bush RB
Those waiting for Reggie Bush to emerge as a No. 1 RB are few and far between now. Everyone needs to accept him for what he is – a dynamic punt returner and 3rd down RB. Thomas is clearly the workhorse in for New Orleans and Bush was hardly used in a few games last year. He needs to be 100% healthy to contribute and hopefully he’ll get back to being a decent weapon, but I’m not holding my breath for greatness any longer.
Jeremy Shockey TE
Outside of Vernon Davis, there haven’t been too many TEs who have generated the buzz that Shockey did coming out of college. Most fantasy owners recall him mowing down defenders in one of his first preseason games and salivating over his potential. Unfortunately, injuries have decimated what could have been a very productive career. He’s simply not going to reach elite TE status again.
Sleepers
Jimmy Graham TE
It certainly looks like the Saints are prepared to replace one Hurricane TE with another. Graham is a bit raw for sure, but he landed in a great spot. With Shockey’s injury history, Graham could be useful sooner rather than later.
Lance Moore WR
Novice dynasty league owners may have forgotten about Moore, but we certainly haven’t. He was actually Drew Brees’ favorite target a couple of years ago. Last season was pretty much lost due to injury, but don’t be surprised if he re-emerges to challenge the other WRs for serious playing time.
Super Sleepers
Lynell Hamilton RB
If Thomas struggles at all with an increased workload, it’s likely going to be Hamilton, not Reggie Bush who is the beneficiary. Keep an eye on the L-train, for sure. If there was an injury to Thomas, he could be the steal of the year. If I’m a Thomas owner, I’m a Hamilton owner.
Summary
The Saints put on an offensive sheaux each and every week. With Drew Brees at the helm, every member of the offense has a chance for production. This is a team to keep close tabs on as players seem to emerge, fall, then re-emerge on a consistent basis. There are certainly no signs of slowing down in New Orleans as they attempt to seaux up another Super Bowl title. That ties a nice little beaux on the NFC South dynasty capsules, we’ll be covering the NFC East next.
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In my opinion P Thomas is a break away from being a top rb. He can run between the tackles and outside.( He bulked up this offseason) plus the guy can flat out catch the ball. He was a 15pt(ppr) a week guy last year but with more reps now that Bell is gone he can reach the 20pt(ppr) range. That means he will be a steal as a #2 rb with big upside in my opionion. If S payton can put his ego aside and get Pierre the pigskin 20-25 times a game he will be a beast if he stays healthy. The only drawback is that R Bush for some reason gets put in near the goaline and gets the easy dump pass for a td.
I’m pretty surprised you put Devery Henderson in the “Players in their Prime” section. He may be in his prime, but he hasn’t amounted to much. Considering his divided workload because of Meachem Moore and Bush, I’d probably have left him off.
After reading the first three or four of these you’ve done, it might be helpful to have a purgatory or limbo, or Who Knows? section.