Originally Posted by
KingJames23
http://insider.espn.go.co..._football%26id%3d5633187
Can I get an insider to post this? Thanks.
Will it get better for Marques Colston?
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Take your pick when it comes to which member of the New Orleans Saints offense fantasy owners should worry about the most. Quarterback Drew Brees is wearing a brace on his sore left knee, and while he is not listed on the team's injury report, he did need an MRI, so there has to be some concern. Running back Pierre Thomas missed Wednesday's practice because of a sprained ankle, somewhat jeopardizing his participation in a tasty matchup against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. And then there's wide receiver Marques Colston, who, best I can tell, is not dealing with a physical problem, but his numbers certainly aren't healthy.
Colston, the No. 12 wide receiver in ESPN average live drafts, has amassed 14 fantasy points in three games, leaving him outside the top 50 at his position. The top 11 wide receivers from drafts have all scored; Colston has not. This is certainly not what fantasy owners had in mind with their fourth-round pick, and while I haven't seen Colston's name on any free-agent lists -- he remains 100 percent owned in ESPN standard leagues -- I could see how one might feel he has better options for this week. Of course, in ranking Colston 17th at wide receiver this week, it would certainly imply I trust him.
While it's still too early to call this a season-long trend, it has seemed to me from watching Saints games that Brees has relied a bit more on running backs and tight ends to catch the ball, as opposed to Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and the Week 3 star, Lance Moore. Makes you wonder what would be happening had Reggie Bush not gotten hurt. Last season Brees completed 49 percent of his many, many passes to wide receivers. This season that number is down to 40 percent. The thing is, I can't trust this yet as a full-season trend. I expect this delineation of targets to become a bit more even in the coming weeks, in part because Thomas, the team leader in receptions with 17, is a bit banged up and the team lacks depth behind him (though Chris Ivory should become relevant soon). Also, the schedule eases up some. The first three opponents -- the Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons -- were expected to be playoff contenders this season, and in the next few weeks until their Week 10 bye, the Saints face the Panthers twice, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns. It doesn't mean Brees will target Colston or others more than normal, but one would think with Bush out, Brees would throw downfield a bit more and big plays would be more likely against lesser defenses.
Moore's big Week 3 effort, with 149 receiving yards, a pair of touchdowns and 26 fantasy points, was surprising for fantasy owners, as he was owned in 2.3 percent of leagues prior to the game. Now he's one of fantasy's most popular additions, and while I see his value rising, I wouldn't expect him to become the team's top receiving weapon. Same with tight end Jeremy Shockey, who also stepped up in Week 3 with 13 of his 18 season fantasy points. Henderson scored in the opening minutes of Week 1 on a pretty 29-yard pass play but since then has six catches in what amounts to three full games of playing time. Meachem has four receptions all season. Brees doesn't seem to be looking deep or for his wide receivers near the goal line, but I don't think this will be a season-long trend, notably with his top option.
Colston was in the top five for wide receivers last season in red zone targets and there's little reason to expect the game plan has changed so much that he'll be ignored this year. Yes, Week 3 was disappointing, with only 25 yards -- he had just one full game with fewer yards the past two seasons. It's just one of many slow starts around the league, and in this offense, fantasy owners should stick with their stars, and in this case, the team's receiving star remains Colston.
