NFL Fantasy Football Matchup Cheat Sheet: New Orleans Saints
In NFL daily fantasy leagues, matchups are important. Pay attention to favorable matchups rather than the overall quality of individual players. It is better to select an above-average offensive player facing poor to average defense than an elite talent facing above-average to elite defense.
Each position is ranked according to one of these four ratings: Elite, Above-average, Average, and Poor.
Offense
QB Drew Brees: Elite
RB Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingrim, Khiry Robinson: Above-average
WR1 Marques Colston: Above-average
WR2 Kenny Stills: Average
Slot WR Brandon Cooks: Above-average
TE Jimmy Graham: Elite
O-line: LT Terron Armstead, LG Ben Grubbs, C Johnathon Goodwin, RG Jahri Evans, RT Zach Strief: Above-average
I believe Cooks will be an immediate success. He complements Graham’s style of play very well and Colston is also there to draw away coverage. With Brees as his quarterback, you should bet on Cooks early in the season while his salary is still relatively low.
Avoid New Orleans running backs except Pierre Thomas. While the sum of all parts is positive with three good-but-not-great players, this run by committee approach will dampen the rushing production of all three running backs.
Thomas is an exception due to his work in the passing game, notching 77 receptions over the 2013 season. This number should only increase now that Darren Sproles has left the team for Philadelphia. Thomas is especially valuable in points per reception leagues.
Defense
CB1 Keenan Lewis: Above-average
CB2 Champ Bailey, Stanley Jean-Baptise: Average
Nickel CB Corey White: Average
Safeties: SS Kenny Vancaro, FS Jarius Byrd: Elite
Linebackers: OLB Junior Galette, ILB David Hawthorne, ILB Curtis Lofton, OLB Victor Butler: Poor
D-line: DE Cameron Jordan, NT Broderick Buntley, DE Akiem Hicks: Above-average
This secondary has talent and also possesses adequate depth. Avoid QBs and WRs facing New Orleans. Despite a solid d-line and the genius of Junior Galette the front 7 is less consistent due to a lack of overall quality in the linebacker corps, so RBs aren’t out of the question against the Saints.
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