Fantasy Upside
Drew Brees continues to be an unstoppable fantasy force. He finished 2016 as fantasy's QB3 and as fantasy's No. 16 overall player after throwing for a league-high 5,208 yards and his 37 touchdowns were the third-most. Brees also hasn't missed more than one game due to injury in his career so he remains as durable as ever. The Saints did trade vertical threat Brandin Cooks to the Patriots this offseason, but filled that role with the addition of speedster Ted Ginn Jr. The emergence of Michael Thomas also ensures Brees will have a legitimate No. 1 target in the passing game. Also boosting his stock would be if Coby Fleener has a better grasp of Sean Payton's offense. Finally, the team was aggressive in upgrading its offensive line this offseason, signing free agent guard Larry Warford and drafting tackle Ryan Ramczyk in the first round. Brees, who is outstanding when it comes to setting his protections pre-snap, will be well protected again in 2017.
Fantasy Downside
Brees just turned 38 and, even though he believes he can play until he's 45, the demise of NFL quarterbacks can often be sudden and unpredictable (see: Manning, Peyton). Ginn can still fly at 32, but he has big shoes to fill considering Cooks was targeted 117 times a year ago. The Saints will be forced to replace Cook's 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns from a year ago. Can Ginn fill that role? Can Fleener (50-631-3) be more productive than he was in his first year with the team? Thomas is a stud, but it remains to be seen if Brees' surrounding cast is better than it was last season. Plus, the team signed Adrian Peterson this offseason, which is an indication that Payton wants to find more offensive balance in 2017.
2017 Bottom Line
Even at his age, Brees remains one of the top-five quarterbacks in fantasy. The Saints will also likely struggle again defensively, which means plenty of opportunities for Brees to put the ball in the air. Losing Cooks hurts, but Ginn is a factor and Fleener is a progression candidate. If you want an elite quarterback and don't mind drafting one in the first four rounds (his current ADP is 4.04 in 10-team leagues), Brees is as safe an option as they come.
Week 17 at Atlanta
Drew Brees completed 23-of-34 passes for 299 yards with one touchdown in the Saints' Week 16 win over the Buccaneers. He didn't exactly light up Tampa Bay's secondary in two games this season, but Brees was still efficient nonetheless. He's now on track to throw for over 5,000 yards for the fifth time in his career. The Saints travel to Atlanta to take on a Falcons defense that has shown improvement over the past month, but Brees should still light up a secondary that has been playing without top corner Desmond Trufant. Ranked as our QB5 for Week 17, Brees is safe to start in all formats this Sunday.
Week 16 vs. Tampa Bay
One week after potentially costing fantasy owners playoff games with a dud performance, Drew Brees rebounded with a 37-of-48 passing day against the Cardinals last Sunday. He threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns in the victory, hooking up with Brandin Cooks for two scores. If you're in your championship or semi-finals round this week and you're a Brees owner, here's the good news: He's our top-ranked QB for Week 16. He should put up his excellent numbers inside the Superdome on Saturday when the Saints host the Bucs.
Week 15 at Arizona
Drew Brees struggled mightily last week in Tampa, completing 25-of-41 passes for 257 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions in the Saints' loss to the Buccaneers. He now has six interceptions and no touchdowns in losses to the Lions and Bucs over the last two weeks. The Saints had no running game in Tampa, and with Michael Thomas (foot) out, Brees struggled against the Bucs' surging defense. Assuming he didn't cost you your fantasy playoffs last week, Brees can be viewed as a low-end QB1 against Arizona this Sunday. He ranks as our QB10 for Week 15.
Week 14 at Tampa Bay
Drew Brees completed 31-of-44 passes for 326 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions in the Saints' Week 13 loss to the Lions. The game marked the first time since 2009 that Brees failed to throw a touchdown pass at the Superdome. Detroit did an excellent job blanketing New Orleans' receivers and forcing Brees to throw into tight windows all afternoon. Despite the poor performance, Brees still ranks as our QB2 for Week 14 and should bounce back versus the Bucs, who rank as the No. 13 defense against fantasy quarterbacks.
Week 13 vs. Detroit
Drew Brees completed 28-of-36 passes for 310 yards with four passing touchdowns and one rushing score in the Saints’ Week 12 win over the Rams. He also lost a fumble, which led to a touchdown for L.A. Brees’ rushing touchdown came on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Following a timeout, Sean Payton’s gamble to go for it paid off when Brees quickly stuck the football over the goal-line after leaping over his offensive line. He has a great matchup on Sunday when the Saints host a Lions team that ranks 28th against fantasy quarterbacks this season. Brees ranks as our No. 1 quarterback for Week 13.
Week 12 vs. Los Angeles
Drew Brees completed 35-of-44 passes for 285 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the Saints' 23-20 loss to the Panthers last Thursday night. The Saints were done in by turnovers, with Brees accounting for a lost fumble and an interception. But Brees now leads the league in passing and continues to be a matchup-proof quarterback in fantasy. Ranked as our QB2 for Week 12, Brees is a must-start at home versus the Rams on Sunday.
Week 11 at Carolina
Drew Brees completed 21-of-29 passes for 303 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in the Saints' loss to the Broncos in Week 10. The veteran signal-caller proved once again that he's matchup proof in fantasy, nearly leading the Saints to an impressive win over one of the league's best defenses. If it weren't for the Broncos returning a blocked extra point for two points in the closing minutes of the game, Brees' outstanding touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks late in the fourth quarter likely would have stood as the game-winner.
Brees will have an easier matchup on Thursday night when the Saints travel to Charlotte to take on the Panthers. Carolina owns the No. 25 ranked fantasy defense versus quarterbacks and Brees already torched the Panthers once this year, throwing for 465 yards and four touchdowns in the Saints' Week 6 win at the Superdome. Granted, the Saints are often less explosive on the road than they are at home, but Brees remains a top 5 quarterback this week. In fact, he ranks as our QB5 for Week 11.
Week 10 vs. Denver
Drew Brees completed 28-of-39 passes for 323 yards with three touchdowns in the Saints’ Week 9 win over the 49ers. On a day where New Orleans’ running game dominated, Brees still found a way to put up big fantasy numbers. He’ll face a stiff test this Sunday when the Broncos come to town. Denver ranks as fantasy’s No. 1 defense versus fantasy quarterbacks but with the Saints playing at home, Brees should still put up good production. He ranks as our QB8 for Week 10 and should be in your lineup provided you don’t also have Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger or Carson Palmer on your bench.
Week 9 at San Francisco
Drew Brees threw for 265 yards on 27-of-35 passing and a touchdown in the Saints' 25-20 win over the Seahawks in Week 8. He also added a one-yard rushing touchdown to complete his day, which was a solid performance against one of the top defenses in the NFL. He gets an easier matchup this Sunday in San Francisco against the Niners' No. 24 defense versus fantasy quarterbacks. We have Brees ranked as our No. 2 QB for Week 9 and should be in all lineups.
