Big news broke this month that star WR Michael Thomas will be having surgery on his ankle that gave him a lot of problems last season. The initial report projects that Thomas will miss the beginning of the season, and could potentially be out until October or later. This is a very concerning report, and will give many Thomas owners from last season nightmares of what could happen.

The implications of this are massive. If Thomas was to miss a significant portion of the season this would not only tank his fantasy value, but also effect the offensive production for the Saints as a whole. Obviously, this will put a damper on RB Alvin Kamara’s high-end upside, since the lack of efficiency by the team offensively will decrease his scoring potential throughout Thomas’ absence.

Another thing to monitor is the Saints will likely look to add a veteran wide receiver to fill the gap while Thomas misses time. Current Saints wide receivers, WR Tre ‘Quan Smith, WR Marquez Callaway and WR Deonte Harris all see a small bump, but their lack of history and experience makes them a less than optimal wide receiver corp.

The quarterback battle between QB Jameis Winston and QB Taysom Hill will be one of the most closely monitored battles in the league this year. I project that Winston will win the battle since he has more history as a starting quarterback, more production as a pocket passer and has much more arm talent than Hill. That being said, the Saints love Hill, and have stood by him throughout his time in the league. If Sean Payton wants Hill, then he will get him as the starter, and you never know what crazy schemes Payton has up his sleeve.

Most likely Winston will be the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, but Hill will have a role, and he will see time on the field throughout the season.

The wide receiver position is in shambles, and there will be a lot of veteran receivers coming into town to try to fill the gaps in this lackluster receiver room. The Saints have already added former New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills WR Chris Hogan, and they are trying out their former receiver WR Tommylee Lewis, but there will certainly be more tryouts in the near future.

We talked a little bit about the quarterback battle already, but the quarterback position itself should be completely avoided in fantasy with the loss of Thomas. There just aren’t enough weapons in the passing game without Thomas, and Winston and Hill are both known for being subpar passers and decision-makers. This is a position to avoid as there are plenty of good options at the end of the draft that you can settle for if you are a late-round quarterback drafter.

The uncertainty surrounding this offense is making me a little more concerned about RB Alvin Kamara’s top-end fantasy potential. He is still a first-round pick, but if you wanted to take RB Ezekiel Elliott, RB Aaron Jones, RB Derrick Henry, WR Davante Adams, WR Stefon Diggs, or WR Calvin Ridley over him, I wouldn’t be opposed. The safety of Kamara is still his pass catching ability, and this will make it hard for him to fall out of the Top 8 overall players, but his touchdown potential will be reduced with a new quarterback, and a lackluster receiving corp.

WR Michael Thomas should fall way back in drafts, and I will personally will not be taking him in any leagues this year. I sat on him for the entire 2020 season, and it ended up being a waste of a roster spot. WR Tre ‘Quan Smith is worth a shot since he should inherit a pretty substantial share of the missing targets, but I wouldn’t expect any large amounts of production out of any receiver on this roster at the moment.

The tight end position could see a solid bump in targets and production with Thomas’ absence. I will probably be acquiring a fair share of TE Adam Trautman shares towards the end of drafts, and he could put himself into the forefront of young tight ends with a lot of promise towards the future. He is an absolute must-own in dynasty leagues, and I would try to buy him cheap in those leagues while you still can.

With the loss of Thomas, I would avoid both the New Orleans Saints D/ST and K Wil Lutz. The offense will have a harder time getting into scoring territory, and Winston’s lack of a safe receiver to target could put both Lutz and the D/ST in a very difficult position to produce for fantasy managers.

The injury of WR Michael Thomas puts a huge damper on the entire fantasy potential of the Saints roster. Keep an eye on the news for who the Saints bring in at the position, and how long Thomas will be out of commission. The loss of Thomas will decrease the value of all major fantasy players on the team, except we could see some increase in production for players like Smith and Trautman. As the draft season gets closer, the Saints may be a team that you want to avoid outside of star RB Alvin Kamara.

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