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Drew Brees Injury Fantasy Football Impact

Drew Brees Injury Fantasy Football Impact

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Sunday was not the day to be a quarterback. We saw several high-profile signal-callers go down with injury scares, and some have evolved into multi-week injuries. That has been the diagnosis for Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

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The latest news has him missing upwards of two months of action due to a thumb injury:

Given the news of Brees’ multi-week absence, we’ve asked our writers to provide the fantasy impact of Drew Brees’ injury and the effect it has on his teammates. First, let’s take an in-depth look at the injury from Matt Miraglia, DPT (@DocMiragz):

Drew Brees, one of the NFL’s perennial ironmen over the past decade and a half, having missed only one game since signing with New Orleans in 2006, is set to miss significant time. Ironically, Brees was only hit by a glancing blow from All-World Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, but the brief collision likely did more damage to the Saints’ 2019 season than any highlight reel hit-stick could have done. During the hand-to-hand hit, Brees’ thumb seemed to take most of the impact, and while the replay of the hit was not conclusive, the sideline video of Brees attempting to grasp a football was telling. Based on the video, this is most likely an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury of the thumb, and this has been confirmed by media reports. The mechanism of injury in this situation is hyperextension of the thumb, specifically at the base, or metacarpal-phalangeal joint (MCP), and causes pain with any type of grasping or gripping motion, hence, the video of Brees immediately dropping the football after grabbing it on the sideline. Additional sideline video showed team physicians performing tests to determine the ligamentous stability of the UCL, which we now know is fully torn as surgery will be required. Early estimates of Brees’ recovery timeline have been set at six weeks, but depending on surgery and rehab success, that timeline can be pushed back to 12 weeks or more. The surgical site is typically protected for at least six weeks, therefore return will be dependent on grip strength and pain tolerance, as Brees will almost certainly still be in pain if he were to play at six weeks. The Saints have a bye in Week 9, which gives Brees an extra week for recovery and makes Week 10 a more realistic return in my opinion versus rushing him back in Week 8. Saints fans need to hope “Teddy Two Gloves” can keep the team afloat until Brees returns for a late-season playoff push.

What is the fantasy football impact of Drew Brees’ injury?

Unlike the Roethlisberger injury, it’s sounding like Brees has a chance to make it back in time to help fantasy owners this year. With the Saints having a Week 9 bye, the timing sets up nicely for Brees to return for a stretch run. Their schedule in Week 10 through 16 is pretty solid with two matchups against the Falcons as well as games against Tampa Bay and San Francisco. I’d try to hold on to Brees for now in deeper leagues. As far as the rest of the Saints, Bridgewater is only an option in Superflex/2QB leagues. Kamara and Thomas are the only two Saints you can start, but they’ll take a downgrade in production. I think talent alone has them in your lineup each week, but they’ll have tough matchups against Dallas, Jacksonville, and Chicago without Brees under center.
– Kyle August (@kyleFFfellas)

Drew Brees missing time hurts fantasy owners with Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas more than it hurts the fantasy team that rostered Brees as their QB1. Personally, I am dropping Brees and trying to land Josh Allen. If Allen is not available, shift your strategy to streaming quarterbacks. As scary as this might seem, you could be surprised to learn that during Week 1 three quarterbacks, with less than 30-percent ownership, finished as QB1s, Matthew Stafford, Marcus Mariota, and Case Keenum. In Week 2, three different quarterbacks finished as QB1s with less than 30-percent ownership, Jimmy Garoppolo, Josh Allen, and Andy Dalton. If you execute quarterback streaming properly, it is possible that you can potentially get more points than Brees would have yielded in 2019. As for the other fantasy assets on the bayou, Michael Thomas will still be good. I feel he is still a safe low-end WR1 in PPR formats, but the upside is no longer what it used to be in any format. Thomas’ standard league value will take the biggest hit. Alvin Kamara is still an RB1, but he may have the ceiling of an RB2 for some games without Brees. Kamara’s talent will still shine, but the pass-catching volume will certainly be less with a different quarterback. Latavius Murray’s fantasy outlook took an even bigger hit with the loss of Brees. Murray was already struggling to produce the hype that fantasy analysts had given him in his ‘Mark Ingram role.’ Through two weeks he has 11 carries for 50 yards, three receptions, and one touchdown. Murray becomes a drop since this offense will now have fewer opportunities and depend on Kamara even more. Jared Cook will likely downgrade, although it is worth mentioning that he had seven targets against the Rams. The odds of Cook’s fantasy stock getting more valuable are slim without Brees.
– Garett Thomas (@GarettThomas)

Drew Brees missing a good chunk of the regular season hurts Saints’ offensive skilled position players Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas slightly. Teddy Bridgewater is capable of running the Saints’ offense and showed decent chemistry with Michael Thomas, but definitely has plenty of work to do in terms of rapport with the rest of his pass-catching corps. Still, he had his second taste of meaningful regular-season action since January 2016 and looked somewhat rusty. The Saints’ offense won’t be as explosive with Bridgewater, but the Saints’ skilled position players still offer plenty of fantasy value. Kamara and Latavius Murray will be leaned on heavily to take the pressure off Bridgewater. Adrian Peterson had one of his better seasons in 2015 when Bridgewater was the starting quarterback for the Vikings. With Sean Payton as one of the more offensive-minded coaches in the NFL, despite the quarterback change, he will find creative ways to get Kamara and Thomas involved. A small hit in fantasy value for Saints’ skill position players, but Kamara and Thomas are still sure-fire starters each week.
– Brad Camara (@beerad30)

Drew Brees is expected to miss six weeks with a torn ligament in his thumb. That means that he will be back later this year, and the Saints may still be able to save their season. Unlike the Steelers, Brees will be back this year, but also unlike the Steelers, they do not have a young quarterback waiting in the wings. Teddy Bridgewater has been in the league since 2014 and injuries have prevented him from developing into the player the Minnesota Vikings hoped he would be when they drafted him. I think you still have to play wide receiver Michael Thomas and running back Alvin Kamara. They are just too good to have on the bench, but Thomas probably drops to more of a WR2 and Kamara to a low-end RB1 to high-end RB2. They just will not have the same success in the passing game without playing with the most accurate quarterback in NFL history. I would sell any of the other players having big games until Brees returns, with the exception of tight end Jared Cook. Tight end is not a very deep position, and he may have some value as a streamer in quality matchups. It is going to be a huge adjustment for one of the most explosive offenses in the league, but if they can keep the ship together for the next six weeks, their offense has a chance to be great when Brees returns, and a rested Brees may be ready to dominate the fantasy playoffs in 2019.
– Derek Lofland (@DerekLofland)

When it comes to the Saints in the aftermath of Drew Brees tearing a ligament in his thumb, my message to owners would be “hold your horses.” While Teddy Bridgewater is not Drew Brees, he is one of, if not the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL. The Saints re-signed Bridgewater prior to the 2019 season purely for this type of situation…to have a competent signal-caller who can allow them to compete and stay afloat thanks to one of the youngest and most talented rosters in the NFL. Even if you don’t trust Bridgewater, don’t be so quick to trade guys like Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. In a Week 2 matchup that was a major offensive struggle for New Orleans, Thomas still caught 10 passes for 89 yards. Kamara is one of the most dynamic players in the NFL, and he will be leaned on heavily as the Saints try to weather the Brees-less storm. If you want to replace peripheral assets such as Jared Cook, Ted Ginn, and Tre’Quan Smith, you’re probably safe to do so, as the risk is much higher with Bridgewater under center. However, the roles of Thomas, Kamara, and Latavius Murray won’t change and may even be increased in the absence of Brees. As for Bridgewater, I think you want to wait and see him in action before trusting him as a starter unless you’re desperate. But the fact remains that the Saints are loaded with talent. Plus, if Brees does return after six weeks, he’ll be around for a significant chunk of the season, at which point the Saints may be fighting for their playoff lives. Keep the faith and roll with the higher-end Saints.
– Brandon Plutner (@bplutne1)

Drew Brees will return this season but it might be too late for the Saints and fantasy owners. If you own Alvin Kamara or Michael Thomas there is not much that can be done, you are staying put in most situations. Beware of trade vultures that will be looking to swipe Kamara and Thomas for $0.75 on the dollar. Hopefully, as the Kamara owner, you also have Latavius Murray on the bench because he might benefit most from Teddy Bridgewater at the helm. I have a sneaky suspicion that the Saints will be fine and so will fantasy owners. It’s not ideal, but you drafted Kamara and Thomas to lead your team to fantasy football glory.
– Andrew Liang (@whenpigskinfly)

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