Saints Fantasy Football Start 'Em or Sit 'Em: Week 2
NFL fans across the country cheered and cried over their success or failures in Fantasy Football in Week 1. Many owners tweak their lineups and seek advice on who to start and who to sit to start. There is a plethora of talent for the New Orleans Saints roster that finds themselves on fantasy football rosters. Each week Saints News Network reporter Brendan Boylan will provide his insider advice on which Saints to start and sit in Fantasy. Below is his Week 2 “Starts and Sits” against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football.
*All Fantasy Football Scoring References are from ESPN's PPR Standard Scoring*
Saints to Start:
RB Latavius Murray
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After a tough day on the ground Sunday against the Bucs, New Orleans has a favorable matchup against Las Vegas on MNF. Last week I said...
Murray is a tough back to predict. He is amongst the league leaders in rushing TDs since 2016 but failed to put together consecutive 50+ yard performances after Week 8 last season. Sit Murray, if you can, until you see those TD numbers go up again.
But after racking up 48 yards (3.2 YPC) against the NFL’s best rush defense, I like what Murray can bring to a lineup as a FLEX option in Week 2. Much like last week, TDs will be everything for the 2016 Pro-Bowl RB; however, facing a Raiders front seven that gave up over 120 yards on the ground last week, Murray could find his first 100-yard rushing performance since Week 8 of 2019 against Arizona.
Prediction: 70 Rushing Yards, 1 TD
RB Alvin Kamara
© Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Only 16 rushing yards last week for Alvin Kamara, but standard PPR leagues saw the $77M man put up 23.7 points behind his five rec for 51 yards and two total scores. It was a breath of fresh air for fantasy owners to see Kamara trot into pay-dirt in Week 1 after a year where the three-time Pro-Bowl selection could not find the end zone for 12 consecutive weeks.
I like AK as an RB1 this week against Las Vegas. In Week 1, the Raiders faced a similar styled RB in Christian McCaffrey and surrendered 28.4 Fantasy Points on 96 rushing yards and 2 TDs. Kamara’s burst in open space had seemed to return to his 2018 form when he scored 18 total TDs, and after Week 1 he looks to keep his pace to a 20 score season.
Note: With the High-Ankle Sprain injury to Michael Thomas, Kamara should get more looks in the passing game. PPR owners rejoice!
Prediction: 55 Rushing Yards, 75 Receiving Yards, 2 Total TD
Saints to Sit:
WR Emmanuel Sanders
The new kid on the block was silent in the first half of his first game in the black and gold, posting 0 receptions until late in the ball game. Sanders scored a TD in the fourth quarter, which boosted his fantasy score, but three receptions for 15 yards will not cut it Week to Week.
Most would expect Sanders to be an obvious fantasy start with Michael Thomas' ankle injury, but I am hesitant to play him in Week 2. Why? After a dismal offensive performance as a team against the Bucs, Sean Payton should have some wrinkles in his play-calling in Week 2. I suspect a heavy dose of Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara lined up as WR and potentially Ty Montgomery. I like these hybrid style players more in Week 2 as the Saints navigate life without Can’t Guard Mike.
Prediction: 6 Receptions for 65 Yards
QB Drew Brees
© Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Wow, Week 1 was not what many expected between two of the modern-day QB G.O.A.Ts. Drew Brees threw for just 160 yards and 2 TDs, adding up to 14.4 Fantasy Points last week. The 20-year NFL vet looked rusty and inaccurate against the Bucs fantastic front seven, and though I do not foresee back-to-back poor performances from the Saints legend, I would sit him again this week.
The Raiders present a much better matchup for Brees, but losing the NFL’s leader in receptions each of the last two years does not sit well for Brees’ fantasy owners. On top of Thomas' loss for potentially multiple Weeks, Sean Payton looked to make it a point to run the ball, racking up 35 rushing attempts in Week 1. I like the Saints RBs in this matchup, as mentioned before, which almost always means bench the QB.
Prediction: 250 Passing Yards, 1 TD
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