Week 6 at Jaguars
The Saints' offensive explosion also included the first touchdown of the year for Ginn. But that was one of just two targets Ginn saw all day, meaning his fantasy ceiling is still pretty capped with Kamara, Thomas and Jared Cook. But in a week with four teams on a bye, including Allen Robinson, John Brown and T.Y Hilton, Ginn gets an uptick in value, but he is still a WR5 at best.
Week 5 vs. Buccaneers
Ginn may be operating as the No. 2 wide receiver on the field, but he is clearly behind Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook in the pecking order. And even with getting five targets at least in each game, he simply isn't doing enough with those targets. Outside of his explosive output in Week 1 against the Texans (7-101), he does not have a game with more than 20 receiving yards. He's a pure boom-or-bust play.
Week 4 vs. Cowboys
Even with Tre'Quan Smith, Ginn continues to become almost an afterthought in the Saints' offense. He did see five targets against the Seahawks but hauled in just two of them for a mere 15 yards. Now he is contending with Deonte Harris for targets but at least Ginn is on the field, giving him opportunities. Those opportunities are just very limited, capping Ginn's fantasy potential, especially against a good Dallas secondary.
Week 3 at Seahawks
Ginn was already a boom-or-bust play with Drew Brees in the lineup. Now he's coming off a zero-catch performance against the Rams and has been limited in practice this week with a thigh injury. Even if he does play, it's very difficult to see how much impact Ginn is going to have going forward. He is an extreme desperation play this early in the season with no byes happening yet. Perhaps as the season progresses and teams are on their bye week, he becomes a bit better of an option. For Week 3 though, we're staying away.
Week 2 at Rams
As expected, Ted Ginn and Tre'Quan Smith nearly split the work opposite Michael Thomas. Ginn played 49 snaps, Smith played 42. But it was Ginn who outshined Smith in Week 1 with 101 yards on seven catches (on seven targets, third-most behind Thomas and Kamara). Ginn has the slight edge for WR2 duties in New Orleans, but as long as he is sharing time with Smith, as well as being behind Thomas, Alvin Kamara and perhaps Jared Cook (though Cook only saw three targets in Week 1) in the pecking order, Ginn is nothing more than a WR5 in fantasy.
Week 1 vs Texans
Ted Ginn is listed as the No. 2 wide receiver on the Saints' depth chart, but he and Tre'Quan Smith are so close that it's almost a coin flip who will factor in after Michael Thomas if either one does at all. With how far Ginn is down in the pecking order in this offense, unless you're in a league with a deep starting lineup, you're not looking to run with Ginn in Week 1 until we see what transpires between him and Smith. We have Ginn ranked No. 59 in PPR and No. 54 in standard scoring.
Fantasy Upside
Ted Ginn deserves a ton of credit for carving out as long of a career as he has and still being as productive as he has. He's been rolling as the No. 2 option in the Saints' offense and can still get downfield and help stretch the field. From our John Paulsen: "Ginn has played at a 56-797-5 (16-game) pace in his last 20 games. Those are low-end WR3 numbers."
Fantasy Downside
Ginn is certainly no spring chicken. He is 34 years old and coming off a season where he missed significant time with a knee injury. The Saints also have Tre'Quan Smith on the rise.
Bottom Line
Ginn is worthy of a late flyer in drafts because of his deep-catch abilities, but there's no guarantee he remains the second receiver on the depth throughout the season. He and Smith are very close at the moment.
Week 19 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Ted Ginn caught five-of-eight targets for 74 yards in the Saints’ Week 16 win over the Steelers. He slotted immediately back into Drew Brees’ No. 2 receiver after missing several months due to injury. While he did not play in the team’s meaningless Week 17 matchup versus the Panthers, Ginn practiced in full this week in preparation for the Saints’ Divisional Round matchup with the Eagles. Ranked as our WR11, Ginn is an intriguing DFS option against a Philadelphia defense that ranked 27th versus fantasy receivers in 2018. Given his price point and the fact that the Vegas total for Sunday’s game is sitting in the low 50s, Ginn is worth a flier this weekend.
Week 17 vs. Carolina Panthers
Ted Ginn caught five-of-eight targets for 74 yards in the Saints’ Week 16 win over the Steelers. Ginn came up huge on what would be the game-winning drive for New Orleans, catching a 25-yard pass on a third-and-20 from the Steelers’ 32-yard line. That play helped keep the drive alive for the Saints, who eventually scored with just 1:25 remaining. Having clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Saints will likely rest players in Week 17 but Ginn needs to knock off the rust following a long layoff, so he could see significant time. Still, ranked as our WR49 for Week 17, we’d avoid Ginn in all fantasy formats this weekend.
Week 5 vs. Washington Redskins
Ted Ginn failed to record a catch on any of his three targets in the Saints’ Week 4 victory over the Giants. He was also held out of Thursday’s practice due to a knee injury. Ranked as our WR58 for Week 5, avoid Ginn when the Saints host the Redskins on Monday night. He’s a dart throw at best.
