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Michael Thomas 2019 Outlook: Can He Lead The League In Receptions Again?
6 years agoAside from bringing in tight end Jared Cook, the New Orleans Saints didn’t do much with their receiving corps this offseason. That’s good news for wide receiver Michael Thomas, who prepares for his fourth NFL season and is coming off an incredibly impressive year in which Thomas led the NFL with 125 receptions, turning them into 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns. Saints quarterback Drew Brees had a great rapport with Thomas last year, and while age could start to catch up to Brees and hurt the Saints offense, Thomas has the kind of role that wouldn’t be greatly affected by that. He’s the team’s top receiving threat, a guy who posted a catch rate of 85 percent last season and, based on his usage, should have found the end zone even more than the nine times he did. Thomas had 12 catches inside the 10-yard line, but scored on just six of those, a fairly low rate that should correct itself this season. That could be enough to land Thomas in the fantasy top five at the wide receiver position for the first time in his career, especially if some of the big name wideouts who switched teams this offseason aren’t able to have an instant connection with their quarterbacks. Thomas is one of the safest picks you can make at the top of the second round in your fantasy drafts.
