New Orleans Saints Week 11 Fantasy Report
By Chris Smith
November 11, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) celebrates a win over the Atlanta Falcons as he runs off the field following a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Falcons 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE
Vital Info
Opponent: Oakland Raiders
Location: O.co Coliseum (Away)
Record: 4-5
Quarterback
Drew Brees is the #1 scorer in fantasy football so far this year and he showed why last week as he demolished the respected Falcons secondary. The Raiders will be a step down so Brees is the must start he always is and more.
Running Back
Word is that Darren Sproles may return this week from a broken hand. If he does, I would probably leave him on your bench for this one if possible – you may miss out on a good game but odds are he will be used only sparingly and whatever device he has to protect his hand will give him trouble given his main production is in the receiving game. This just makes a cloudy situation all the more difficult to predict – the Saints are determined to try and get Mark Ingram more touches but Chris Ivory has shown he can match the former Heisman winner if not beat him. This has left Pierre Thomas high and dry with not enough touches to go around. Personally I think we see Frenchie rebound this week as the team will attempt to go to more screen passes as Sproles returns and when he inevitably has trouble Thomas is the logical man to step in and take those receiving plays.
Wide Receiver
He may not be getting big yardage numbers but Marques Colston is getting looked to consistently – he was well covered against the Falcons which helped open up the passing game elsewhere. He did get a score though and he is a favorite red zone target for Brees. He’s a strong WR2. Lance Moore benefited from Colston being heavily covered last week and this week I expect he’ll get plenty of looks too as I don’t believe the Raiders secondary will be able to contain him – you can roll with him as a low end WR2 or high end flex. In my hunch play of the week – Devery Henderson has been getting some decent looks downfield but recently has been unsuccessful. This week I think he and Brees connect on at least one big bomb of 50+ yards, making him worth considering in deeper leagues and leagues that reward big plays.
Tight End
The wide receivers get plenty of ball but Jimmy Graham is Brees most trusted target and he should be yours too. Graham is the only TE I trust more than Tony Gonzalez so you’re starting him every week.