MichaelThomas

News: 6 days agoThomas caught seven of nine targets for 55 yards in Monday's 20-17 win over the Panthers.

Spin: Thomas was busy early, accounting for seven of Derek Carr's 13 first-half completions, including a spectacular 19-yard catch along the sideline to convert on third down and set the Saints up with first-and-goal from the four-yard line. New Orleans ultimately settled for a field goal on that drive, and neither team found the end zone until Tony Jones' two-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes left in the third quarter. The defense shifted in Thomas' direction and held him without a catch in the second half, but the veteran wide receiver still finished with a respectable stat line and has 12 catches for 116 yards on the season heading into a Week 3 trip to Green Bay.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Thomas is back with the Saints after appearing in 10 of a possible 50 games during the 2020-22 regular seasons. Thomas looked pretty good out of the gate last season (16-171-3 receiving line on 22 targets) and was fantasy's No. 16-scoring WR prior to suffering a season-ending injury after only three games. The strong play wasn't a huge shock for a player who set the NFL single-season receptions record in 2019, but another lost season is tough to swallow -- and he's now 30 years old. Perhaps Derek Carr's arrival will lead Thomas to a big rebound campaign, but it will be hard to count on him for a full season of high-end fantasy play. He's only worth a flier in the mid-to-late rounds.