Week 3 vs. Washington
With the ball being spread around, Emmanuel Sanders' impact has been marginal through two weeks. He has six receptions for 100 yards and zero touchdowns against two good defenses. He has been targeted 14 times which is a good sign but the Bills passing game has been pedestrian so far in 2021.
The matchup will be another tough one as Sanders faces Washington who was ranked 3rd in aFPA to wide receivers last season. Expect Sanders to get around 5-7 targets but his numbers will not be high enough, even in PPR leagues, to garner enough fantasy points for Week 3. Keep Sanders on the bench,
Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh
Emmanuel Sanders was brought in to take John Brown's role from the last couple of seasons. Brown wasn't healthy last year, but when he was, he still put up good numbers. The problem is Sanders has had injury issues the last three seasons with three different teams, missing 17 games over that stretch.
In fact, Sanders has been limited in practice this week with a foot problem but is expected to play. The Bills passing game will be even better in 2021 and if Sanders can stay on the field, he should be a pretty big asset for certain weeks this season. For Week 1, we recommend you keep Sanders on the bench because he isn't 100% and is still new in the offense.
Fantasy Upside
Emmanuel Sanders has proven to be a competent NFL receiver over the years. With New Orleans, he was effective when healthy and now moves to Buffalo where he will play with one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. Where he fits in is still up in the air considering Buffalo has several good options after Stefon Diggs. But Sanders should pick up some of John Brown's work and we feel he should be the starter on the opposite side as Beasley remains in the slot.
Fantasy Downside
Sanders has been a complementary receiver over the past three seasons and has also missed 15 games over that span with injuries. His last 1,000-yard season was in 2016 when he was in his prime. It appears he could be the No. 2 receiver, but Gabriel Davis will give him competition for playing time and targets.
Bottom Line
Sanders is a veteran who should earn the confidence of QB Josh Allen quickly. If he can stay healthy, which is a major factor, he could be a late-round steal as the Bills offense should remain pass-happy. His ADP has him going anywhere between the 16th and 19th round. If you can get him in those late rounds, he will have good value as we predict Sanders will have the second-best receiving numbers on the team when all is said and done.
Week 17 vs Panthers
Sanders is having a fine finish to his first season in New Orleans, with at least 70 yards in his last two games. It’ll be another week without Michael Thomas, so at least one more game where Sanders is the guy on the outside. Carolina has had inconsistent play at the cornerback position this season, so Sanders might provide one more spark in the Saints’ push for the top seed.
Week 16 vs Vikings
Emmanuel Sanders has thrust himself into WR2 territory just in time for the fantasy finals with Michael Thomas on injured reserve and Tre'Quan Smith banged up. Sanders saw five targets against the Chiefs and his 76 yards were the most for him in a game since Week 5. An opposing receiver has found the end zone in each of the last three weeks. Sanders is our No. 23 half-PPR wide receiver this week.
Week 10 vs 49ers
Sanders saw just 30% of snaps last week, but had three more targets than Tre'Quan Smith, who played the highest number of snaps among Saints' receivers, and scored a touchdown. Sanders looked settled again as the Saints' No. 2 receiver, or at least who Brees will look for after Thomas. But with Thomas back, Sanders will have his ceiling capped.
Week 9 vs Buccaneers
Sanders should be back in the lineup for the Saints this week after recovering from COVID-19. Sanders was finally starting to pick up steam before the bye week. This will be Sander's first game back since Week 5. Sanders did score a touchdown in the first meeting with the Buccaneers. Having Michael Thomas back in the lineup might cap Sanders slightly, but he looked more comfortable in the Saints offense before testing positive for COVID-19.
Week 7 vs Panthers
We finally saw the big game from Sanders we had been hoping for all year when he caught 12 passes for 122 yards against the Chargers in Week 5. And with Michael Thomas now dealing with a hamstring injury, in addition to the ankle sprain he is still recovering from, Sanders likely takes charge as the top receiver this week against a Panthers defense that is now without safety Juston Burris.
Week 5 vs Chargers
Sanders was outsnapped by Tre'Quan Smith yet again (62-51) but did see five more targets than Smith against the Lions and posted season-best numbers in receptions (6) and yards (93). Sanders and Smith have become very close in the Saints offense and our fantasy rankings. But if Sanders' early touchdown pattern continues, he'll find the end zone this week.
Week 3 vs Packers
Sanders scored in Week 1 against the Buccaneers. Other than that, he has been very quiet for a veteran receiver that was supposed to be a strong WR2 in New Orleans. He saw just three targets without Michael Thomas on the field in Week 2. Maybe he sees a better performance if he doesn't run into Jaire Alexander much on Sunday night. Sanders is our WR44 this week.
