Fantasy Football Player Notes
2021 Draft Rankings
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4.
Alvin Kamara
RB - (at ATL)
You won't find a bigger Kamara fan than me, and that's going back to his college days. However, with the way Sean Payton rotates his running backs, it's going to be mighty hard for Kamara to live up to his draft cost now that Drew Brees is gone. Brees targeted his running backs at least 28 percent of the time in each of the last four years. Meanwhile, Jameis Winston hasn't targeted running backs more than 18 percent of the time in each of his last four seasons as a starter. The offense is also not nearly as likely to be scoring as many points without Brees. Upon finding out that Michael Thomas will miss time to start the season, it only makes Kamara more valuable, as he could be in line for eight-plus targets per game during that time.
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130.
Michael Thomas
WR - (at ATL)
It felt like too many people were dismissing Thomas this year, falling into borderline WR2 territory, but now that we know of his ankle surgery that took place in June, he's going to fall even further. It's possible he misses the first 4-6 games based on the timeline he received. It did seem like everyone forget he was the consensus No. 1 wide receiver just a year ago. The big question is: Who is his quarterback once he returns? If it's Hill, there should be a slight downgrade, but don't forget what Thomas did in the four Hill games last year: 9/104/0, 4/50/0, 9/105/0, and 8/84/0. Those are rock-solid numbers, though the touchdowns were obviously not there. Right now, I'm expecting Thomas to miss at least four games, which moves him down into WR4 territory. If you're able to stay afloat the first month of the season, snagging Thomas in the middle rounds might be a winning strategy.
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149.
Jameis Winston
QB - (at ATL)
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152.
Marquez Callaway
WR - (at ATL)
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181.
Adam Trautman
TE - (at ATL)
When running through projections on the Saints, it's easy to fall in love with Trautman this year. Outside of Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, they don't have any reliable targets, and Trautman did well with his opportunity last year. After parting ways with both Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook, there's suddenly a lot of opportunity available for him. There would certainly be less appeal if Taysom Hill were the starter, but many are expecting Jameis Winston to be under center come Week 1. Whatever the case, Trautman makes for a great late-round pick where you'll find out exactly what you have in the first game of the season. There's a scenario where he finishes as a top-10 tight end, especially now that we know Michael Thomas is going to miss time at the start of the season. Monitor his recent foot injury, but consider him a sleeper pick for the moment.
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183.
Tre'Quan Smith
WR - (at ATL)
Is Smith to blame for his lack of involvement in the offense, or were there just not enough targets to go around? He's seen 119 targets over his first three seasons combined, which have amounted to 80 receptions, 1,109 yards, and 14 touchdowns, so the efficiency has been top-notch. Did Drew Brees not have the arm to push the ball down the field anymore? If Jameis Winston is the quarterback, Smith may very well be a sleeper in fantasy drafts, though that optimism would die quickly if Taysom Hill were named the starter. Smith has been battling an injury himself and so hasn't even been able to take advantage of Michael Thomas's absence. He's just a late-round dart throw.
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206.
New Orleans Saints
DST - (at ATL)
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239.
Tony Jones Jr.
RB - (at ATL)
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277.
Wil Lutz
K - (at ATL)
Lutz had core muscle surgery in August and is likely to miss several weeks of the season. Although he may regain his job upon his return, he had his worst season as a professional last year, setting career-lows in field goal percentage (82.1%), attempts (28), and conversions (23). The New Orleans offense was simply far less explosive with a declining (and injured) Drew Brees, and Lutz couldn't make up for his lack of efficiency with increased volume. Given Lutz's injury and the now less-desirable New Orleans offense, there's no reason to consider him in fantasy leagues.
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287.
Taysom Hill
QB - (at ATL)
As of now, the Saints are undecided on who the starting quarterback will be heading into the 2021 season. If it's Hill, he's going to jump all the way up into the top-15 quarterback conversation. If I knew he'd start all 17 games, he'd be ranked top-10 for his rushing upside, but it seems like Jameis Winston has the slight edge heading into camp. Do you think that sounds crazy? It's not. Hill was the QB6 during the month he started while Drew Brees was out. This is a battle we'll be watching closely as the season nears.
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348.
Juwan Johnson
WR,TE - (at ATL)
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374.
Deonte Harris
WR - (at ATL)
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449.
Ty Montgomery
WR,RB - (at ATL)
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452.
Lil'Jordan Humphrey
WR - (at ATL)
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459.
Nick Vannett
TE - (at ATL)
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469.
Aldrick Rosas
K - (at ATL)
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487.
Dwayne Washington
RB - (at ATL)
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499.
Kenny Stills
WR - (at ATL)
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563.
Alex Armah Jr.
RB - (at ATL)
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570.
Kevin White
WR - (at ATL)
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622.
Garrett Griffin
TE - (at ATL)
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685.
Ethan Wolf
TE - (at ATL)
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686.
Dylan Soehner
TE - (at ATL)
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690.
Kawaan Baker
WR - (at ATL)
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704.
Easop Winston Jr.
WR - (at ATL)
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705.
Jalen McCleskey
WR - (at ATL)
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754.
Chris Hogan
WR - (at ATL)
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