Week 4 at San Diego
Michael Thomas had a breakout game on Monday night versus the Falcons, catching seven-of-11 targets for 71 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 45-32 loss. Those 11 targets tied Thomas with tight end Coby Fleener for a team-high on the night. Thomas' touchdown came on a nice play design where the rookie wideout ran a quick slant at the goal line and Drew Brees threw it low with the defenders attacking Thomas high. Thomas dove for the ball, caught it just past the goal line and hung on while taking a shot to the head from safety Ricardo Allen.
With Willie Snead (toe) expected to return after he was inactive on Monday night, Thomas will once again be relegated to a WR4/5 in fantasy. That said, he and Brees clearly have chemistry so if Snead misses any time in the future, Thomas could make for a high-end FLEX option. For now, the rookie ranks as our WR38 for Week 4.
Week 3 vs. Atlanta
Michael Thomas caught four passes on five targets for 56 yards in the Saints' Week 2 loss to the Giants. The rookie caught back-to-back passes for 40 yards at the end of the first half but was quiet in the final two quarters as the Saints' offense never truly got going against New York's improved defense. The takeaway for fantasy owners is that Thomas saw fewer targets than Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and struggling tight end Coby Fleener. Clearly the Ohio State product has carved out a role for himself in New Orleans' pass-first offense but Thomas remains a WR4 in fantasy. Ranked as our WR41 for the Saints' Week 3 tilt against the Falcons, leave Thomas on your bench for Monday night.
Week 2 at New York Giants
Michael Thomas caught all six of his targets for 58 yards in the Saints Week 1 loss to the Raiders. The good news is it was a strong NFL debut for the rookie out of Ohio State. The bad news is Willie Snead went off, catching nine passes on nine targets for 173 yards and a touchdown. Some believed this preseason that Thomas could overtake Snead for the Saints No. 2 receiver job, but the veteran wideout put distance between himself and the rookie in Week 1.
Ranked as our WR50 for Week 2 against the Giants, view Thomas as a WR4/5 and leave him on your bench.
Week 1 vs. Oakland
The Saints invested a second-round pick in Michael Thomas in April's NFL draft. While Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead figure to start outside the numbers in Sean Payton's offense, Thomas has seemingly carved out a role in the slot. That said, even though the rookie should have a full-time role, he's likely going to max out as a WR4 or WR5 this season. Ranked as our WR47 for Week 1, keep Thomas on the bench for now.
Fantasy Upside
The Saints selected Michael Thomas with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2016 draft. While his role has yet to be defined, Thomas is expected to make an immediate impact in 2016. He's received rave reviews for his play in camp and is projected to play the "big slot" role in the Saints' pass-happy offense. Thomas could quickly emerge as a bona fide red-zone option for Drew Brees this season and seemingly has plenty of upside heading into his rookie year.
Fantasy Downside
Some believe that Thomas won't even beat out Brandon Coleman to be the Saints' No. 3 receiver. Even if he does, he'll compete with Brandin Cooks, Coby Fleener, Willie Snead and Mark Ingram for targets in Sean Payton's offense. Despite how much Payton likes to throw the ball, there might not be enough targets to go around for Thomas to post significant numbers in fantasy.
2016 Bottom Line
There's no doubt that Thomas has turned heads this offseason and has a shot to beat out Snead to be the team's No. 2 receiver. It's unlikely that he'll disappear once the regular season starts but Cooks, Fleener and Ingram are likely to get the majority of opportunities in the Saints' offense. Ranked as our WR61, Thomas' ADP is 15.07 (13.03 in 12-team leagues). There's plenty of upside for owners that want to take a flier on him in the later rounds, but realize Thomas might max out as a WR4/5.
