New Orleans Saints Roster
- NFC South
- Stadium
- Mercedes-Benz Superdome
- Head Coach
- Sean Payton
- Offensive Coordinator
- Pete Carmichael
- Defensive Coordinator
- Dennis Allen
- Special Teams Coach
- Dan Rizzi
- Defensive Scheme
- 4-3
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas set an NFL record with 149 catches in 2019, 91 of which netted the team a first down (most in the NFL), including nine touchdowns. Next Gen Stats shows that 97 of his catches came on short passes, which was 35 more than any other receiver. Thomas also caught 68.3 percent of his targets of 10-plus air yards, which was the best rate in the NFL among those with a minimum of 25 such targets. When Thomas wasn't targeted, he ranked third last year in his ability to attract an opponent's best and/or multiple defensive backs. The 27-year-old typically doesn't have massive weekly performances, but he sees a ton of looks from Drew Brees and is the safest receiver option you can find in fantasy. Thomas is worth considering as a top-five fantasy pick as the top wideout off the board in the first round.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' 105.9 passer rating under pressure in 2019 is the second-best mark in a single season since 2016, trailing only Ryan Tannehill from last season. The future Hall of Famer found success under pressure by getting rid of the ball quickly (3.01 second on average per pressured throw) to nearby targets, averaging 9.6 air yards per pressured attempt. Brees led all quarterbacks on NFL.com's Nick Shook's list with a 41.7 percent success rate on pressured pass attempts. While the 41-year-old is still good despite his age and now has Emmanuel Sanders to lean on, he isn't taking as many deep shots as he once did. Brees' ceiling just isn't as high as it once was, making him more of a low-end QB1 in what will likely be his final season.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said on NFL Network's Total Access on Tuesday that playing with quarterback Drew Brees will be similar to his days with Peyton Manning in Denver. "Like I said in '14, that's wide receiver heaven. To be back in the situation with another Hall of Fame quarterback and trying to do something special and win a Super Bowl, I'm all in. Truthfully, I'm blessed to be in this position that I'm in right now," Sanders said. He had 101 catches for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns in his first year with Manning in Denver, and he had over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons with the Broncos. He might not return to those glory days, but Sanders can be a reliable and cheap WR3 for fantasy owners in the Big Easy if he can stay healthy.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders posted a plus-7.2 percent catch-rate difference last year with the Broncos and 49ers and broke 850 receiving yards while fighting through press coverage on almost 30 percent of all routes run. He was also targeted in a tight window 20.6 percent of the time while covering an average of 23.5 yards per route run. In total, the veteran ran 481 routes and covered 11,303.5 yards while catching passes from Joe Flacco and Jimmy Garoppolo. The 33-year-old is getting up there in age, but he remains incredible efficient and has a great opportunity in New Orleans with Drew Brees now throwing him passes. Even though he doesn't score often, Sanders is an undervalued pass-catcher that could put up WR3 numbers in his new home.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas set the single-season receptions record in 2019 with 149 catches. Thomas was also one of just four wideouts with at least 50 targets who posted a catch percentage that was 10 percent above expectation, according to Next Gen Stats. He also had the highest target total of 185, 28 more than anyone else. But Thomas had just 8.1 air yards per target and produced the second-lowest average cushion among receivers at 4.8 yards. Opposing defenses pressed Thomas early and often, but Drew Brees continued to target him in small windows. Thomas was targeted on 31.9 percent of his routes run. With Brees still around for another season and Emmanuel Sanders joining the club to take some attention off of Thomas, the 27-year-old should produce another outstanding season. Thomas should be the first receiver off the board in the first round of drafts.