New Orleans Saints: Why Michael Thomas is the team’s most irreplaceable player

Thomas’ Production This Season

If you drafted Michael Thomas for your fantasy team, you are likely disappointed.

An ankle injury suffered late in Week 1 caused him to miss the next three games of the season, but it didn’t stop there. Thomas was suspended for the team’s Week 5 game by the team before a hamstring injury forced him to miss the next two games.

Even if you extrapolate Thomas’ per game statistics for the season, they are underwhelming. He would be on pace for 944 receiving yards, and he has yet to catch a touchdown this year.

However, those numbers don’t do Thomas justice. For starters, Week 12’s win against the Broncos featured little passing due to unique circumstances, and he still managed to have 50 receiving yards.

Meanwhile, he dominated the Falcons in Week 11 and 13, respectively — he had 18 catches and 207 receiving yards in those two games.

Additionally, Thomas has been able to continue to be a sure-handed target for the Saints. According to Player Profiler, he is third in the NFL with a 95.8 percent true catch rate, while his 70% contested catch rate ranks 7th.

Considering four of the six games he has participated this season have involved a quarterback not named Drew Brees, his production remains very impressive.