Week 5: Stills vs. Bucs
Kenny Stills caught two of his three targets for 62 yards in the Saints' Week 4 loss to the Cowboys. It was a typical night for Stills, who runs a lot of the vertical routes in Sean Payton's offense. He's a consistent boom-or-bust fantasy option as he has the potential to post big yardage numbers but doesn't see a ton of targets. He's just not a reliable fantasy option and ranks as our No. 65 overall WR for Week 5. Avoid him.
Week 4: Stills vs. Cowboys
Kenny Stills caught 4-of-5 targets for 38 yards in the Saints' Week 3 win over the Vikings. He remains a boom-or-bust WR5 as most of his production comes in the deep passing game. But when you have opponents like the Browns and Vikings game planning to limit the Saints' vertical passing game the past two weeks, Stills isn't going to be productive. Leave him on your waiver wire for Week 4.
Week 3: Stills vs. Vikings
Kenny Stills caught 3-of-4 targets for 25 yards in the Saints' 26-24 loss to the Browns on Sunday. It was his first action since he suffered a quad injury that forced him to miss Week 1's tilt against the Falcons. Just like last year, Stills will be the team's primary vertical option, which means he'll be a boom-or-bust option for fantasy owners every week. There will be several games throughout the year where he goes off, but rolling the dice on him as a WR3 is a risky proposition. He ranks as our No. 60 overall WR for Week 3 and should remain on your waiver wire.
Week 1: Stills vs. Falcons
Kenny Stills (quad) was limited at practice on Wednesday but didn't practice on Thursday, making him unlikely to play Sunday versus the Falcons. Even if he does suit up, Stills will once again be relegated to being a vertical option in Sean Payton's offense. That makes him a massive boom-or-bust fantasy option throughout the season, just as he was a year ago. For now, he's listed as our No. 63 WR for Week 1 and should remain on your waiver wire.
Fantasy Upside
Kenny Stills carved out a nice role for himself a year ago as the vertical threat in Sean Payton's offense. He doesn't see consistent targets but when he does have an opportunity to contribute, it's often for big yardage (as his 20.0 yards per reception average from 2013 would indicate). Despite only catching 32 passes in 2013, five of those receptions went for touchdowns and he finished as fantasy's WR48. If Marques Colston or Jimmy Graham ever suffer injuries, then Stills' stock would rise significantly.
Fantasy Downside
Stills sat out each of the Saints' first two preseason games due to a quad injury and is considered questionable for Week 1. Soft-tissue injuries are often unpredictable and can linger, so New Orleans may decide to play it cautious with Stills early in the season. The other long-term issue for fantasy owners is what we mentioned in the "Fantasy Upside" section: Stills simply doesn't see enough targets to merit consideration as a WR3. And given how he's slated for the same role he had a year ago, he's likely to be a boom-or-bust option on a weekly basis.
Bottom Line
Stills is worth a roster stash based on the Saints' offense but he's going to be limited to a WR4/5 again this year. He simply doesn't catch enough passes to be worth a top-3 WR spot in PPR leagues and he's too risky for standard leagues despite his touchdown potential. His current ADP is in the 13th round of 10-team leagues, which is right around where owners could get steadier scoring options like Cecil Shorts, Greg Jennings and Steve Smith. Plus, with the reoccurring quad injury becoming a more pressing concern, be careful not to over-draft Stills this fall.
