Fantasy Football Player Notes

When Thomas was healthy in 2020 from Weeks 11-14, he commanded a 33% target share, earned a 90.5 PFF receiving grade and averaged an elite 2.86 yards per route run - a mark that bested his career average (2.45).

With Thomas now readily available after Round 4, he's the quintessential middle-round WR that could make the massive leap back atop the fantasy leaderboards.

Even with Michael Thomas presumably back in the fold, there was still a gaping hole at the wide receiver position in the Big Easy. Long-time general manager Mickey Loomis has had zero issues spending high-end draft capital on WRs in the past, so it's not surprising the Saints traded up to draft Chris Olave at No. 11.
The former Buckeye doesn't offer the same skill set as Thomas, but he can separate from defenders at an elite level downfield. Olave wrapped up his 2021 season in the 96th percentile in separation versus single coverage and caught seven touchdowns on throws of 20-plus air yards.
Olave draws parallels to Calvin Ridley with his impressive route running ability. But like Ridley coming out of school, Olave doesn't offer much after the catch.
His forced broken and missed tackle rate ranked 43rd among 43 qualifying wide receivers in the class. His yards after the catch per reception (4.2) ranked 37th.
Without much YAC-ability in an offense that ranked fifth in that YAC/reception last season and a firm seat in the WR2 chair behind a healthy Thomas, I have trouble getting overly excited for Olave in New Orleans as nothing more than a boom-or-bust WR4.

Jarvis Landry signed with the New Orleans Saints this offseason, providing much added depth to the team's wide receiver room.

The 29-year-old's best season with the Browns came back in 2019 when he averaged 12.2 fantasy points per game in half-point scoring as the WR13. The former LSU star's production fell off in the last two seasons amid quarterback Baker Mayfield's struggles.

However, Landry displayed a higher fantasy ceiling in games that Odell Beckham Jr. missed from 2020-2021 averaging 11.2 points per game in 2020 (nine games) and 9.5 points per game in 2021 (ten games).

So although his WR56 and 8.9 fantasy points per game in 2021 suggest Landry may be on the decline, he was more a victim of bad circumstances. His 25% target rate per route run ranked top-12 last season - tying him with the likes of D.J. Moore, D.K. Metcalf, Brandin Cooks and Stefon Diggs.

He'll compete for his fair share of targets in an offense alongside what now appears like a sneaky good pass-catching corps between veteran Michael Thomas, first-round rookie Chris Olave and running back Alvin Kamara.


There's a clear path for steady fantasy WR2 production with Landry if Thomas doesn't overcome the remaining hurdles stemming from his ankle rehab.

With his YOLO style, Winston has always been a better fantasy QB than real-life QB. There could be some sneaky upside here now that he'll be starting for the Saints, who have a solid offensive line and a pair of high-volume pass catchers in RB Alvin Kamara and WR Michael Thomas.

He's produced modest numbers in his first two NFL seasons, but the former University of Dayton star has the potential to be a gem.

Hill is a big-time runner but a CFL-caliber passer. The rushing ability gives him fantasy value whenever he sees the field, but the passing limitations prevent him from being anything but a Band-Aid for an NFL team. Possible he opens the 2022 season as the Saints' starter, but he'd probably only be keeping the seat warm for someone else.

Now 34, the Red Rifle won't get a chance to start anywhere, but he's the sort of veteran backup who'll draw interest when he hits free agency in March.

Athletic youngster flashed playmaking potential early in the season but couldn't carve out a significant role for himself. Worth keeping on the radar.