Week 15 at Arizona
Michael Thomas (foot) was held out of the Saints' loss to the Buccaneers last Sunday. He was also limited in practice on Wednesday and if he can't get a full session in before Sunday's game against the Cardinals, then the Saints could choose to hold out the rookie again this week (especially with nothing to play for). If he does play, then Thomas will see a lot of Patrick Peterson on Sunday. Ranked as our WR31 for Week 15, view the rookie as a desperation FLEX option only.
Week 14 at Tampa Bay
Michael Thomas was held to 42 yards on four-of-five targets in the Saints' Week 13 loss to the Lions. Detroit utilized a ball-control offense to keep Drew Brees and Co. on the sidelines for long stretches at time a time, but the Lions were also dominant on defense, picking off Brees three times in the victory. Making matters worse for Thomas owners, the rookie is dealing with a foot injury that caused him to miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday. If he doesn't at least practice on a limited basis on Friday then owners need to be prepared to sit Thomas for Week 14. If he does practice, then it's safe to consider him a WR2 option for Sunday when the Saints visit the Bucs. He currently ranks as our WR19 for this weekend.
Week 13 vs. Detroit
Michael Thomas had a monster day in the Saints’ Week 12 win against the Rams, catching nine-of-10 targets for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas’ first touchdown came two plays after he drew a pass interference penalty on third-and-long late in the first half. His second score came in the third quarter after he snagged a 21-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees. If Ezekiel Elliott wasn’t having a monster season in Dallas, Thomas might draw consideration for offensive rookie of the year. He now has 65 catches for 789 yards and seven touchdowns, which leads all rookie receivers. He ranks as our WR11 for Week 13 and can be viewed as an excellent WR2 option when the Saints host the Lions on Sunday.
Week 12 vs. Los Angeles
Michael Thomas caught five-of-five passes for 68 yards in the Saints' Week 11 loss to the Panthers. Thomas rebounded from his worst game of the season in which he turned the ball over multiple times and had a pass go off his hands for an interception in New Orleans' Week 10 loss to Denver. The rookie remains a viable starter in fantasy, although he's trending more in the direction of WR3 status than WR2. He ranks as our WR22 for Week 12 and will take on a Rams' defense that ranks No. 18 versus fantasy receivers this season.
Week 11 at Carolina
Michael Thomas has had an excellent rookie season in New Orleans but he had a Sunday to forget last week, catching four passes for 40 yards, losing two fumbles and having one tipped pass go off his hands for an interception. Both of his fumbles came in the fourth quarter and forced the Saints to have to come from behind after briefly taking a 17-10 lead. New Orleans nearly won on a 32-yard strike from Drew Brees to Brandin Cooks for a touchdown, but Denver blocked the extra point and returned it for a game-winning two points.
Thomas should rebound nicely this Thursday when the Saints travel to Carolina to take on the Panthers. Carolina has the No. 21 ranked fantasy defense versus wide receivers and Thomas ranks as our WR14. Consider him a WR2 for this week.
Week 10 vs. Denver
Michael Thomas caught five of eight targets for 73 yards and two touchdowns in the Saints’ Week 9 win over the 49ers. Thomas has a similar build and skillset as former Drew Brees go-to receiver Marques Colston, so it’s no wonder the rookie wideout and quarterback have developed such great chemistry so quickly. Thomas is now averaging 5.88 catches, 71.63 yards and 0.63 touchdowns per game this season. He ranks as our WR25 and even though the Saints have a difficult matchup against the Broncos on Sunday, Thomas will once again be a WR3 option in both standard and PPR formats.
Week 9 at San Francisco
Michael Thomas caught all six of his targets for 63 yards in the Saints' Week 8 win over the Seahawks. Drew Brees loves the rookie receiver and appears to favor Thomas in the short-to-intermediate passing game. With the amount of volume he's seeing in the Saints' pass-happy offense, Thomas has forced his way into the WR3 conversation. He ranks as our WR24 for Week 9 and is a solid FLEX play against a 49ers defense that ranks No. 24 against fantasy receivers this season.
Week 8 vs. Seattle
Michael Thomas caught 10 passes for 130 yards on 13 targets in the Saints Week 7 loss to the Chiefs. The targets and yardage were both season-highs for the rookie, who has caught 15 passes for 208 yards with one touchdown on 17 targets over the past two weeks. He has quickly emerged as one of Drew Brees' most reliable targets despite the fact that this is his first season.
Thomas ranks as our WR26 and despite facing a Seattle defense that ranks as fantasy's No. 4 defense versus wide receivers, the rookie deserves consideration as a WR3 in Week 8 (especially with the Saints at home, where they continue to be explosive).
Week 7 at Kansas City Chiefs
Michael Thomas caught all five of his targets for 78 yards and one touchdown in the Saints Week 6 win over the Panthers. Drew Brees did an excellent job spreading the ball around on a day where he threw for 465 yards and four touchdowns. The Saints benefited from playing a depleted Panther secondary that stayed in their 4-3 defense instead of playing in nickel coverage. Thomas caught Brees' first of four touchdowns on a nine-yard score.
Thomas is becoming a solid WR3 option when the Saints are at home, but the team will travel to Kansas City this weekend to take on the Chiefs. With Marcus Peters and the opportunistic KC defense lurking, view Thomas as nothing more than a WR4 for Sunday. He ranks as our WR42 for Week 7.
Week 6 vs. Carolina
Michael Thomas caught four-of-nine targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in the Saints Week 4 win over the Chargers. Those nine targets led the Saints and has now drawn 20 targets in his last two games. He’s on pace for 916 yards and eight touchdowns, although his production is likely to take a dip as Willie Snead (toe) draws closer to being 100 percent again. Ranked as our WR33 for Week 6, view Thomas as a WR4 for Sunday.
