Rizzla discusses the Dez Bryant signing by the New Orleans Saints and touches on the fantasy context for all of the players affected.
Patience is a virtue.
Embattled former pro bowl wide receiver Dez Bryant has signed with the New Orleans Saints as per NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan:
Hearing from a source that the Saints have signed Dez Bryant. We’re working to confirm officially.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) November 7, 2018
This is a huge coup for a surging Saints team that was in dire need of a true number two receiver with Ted Ginn being placed on IR and rookie Tre’Quan Smith continuing to disappoint in his expanded role.
Dez Bryant will not have a huge role on offense but should be a difference maker on the field once he gets up to speed. This was the ideal type of scenario Dez was waiting for, and I for one, am glad he found a home and did not totally rot out his value by spending the entire 2018 season on the couch.
Fantasy Context:
Dez Bryant offers exciting upside as a member of the New Orleans Saints. While he will have the weekly floor of a bench stash Dez will boast weekly WR3 upside once he gets a grasp of the Saints playbook and verbiage. Lauded by many a pundit as over the hill this fanalyst believes ‘X is gonna eat’ in single coverage across from stud wideout Michael Thomas. Confronted by the prospect of facing the opposing teams number two or three corner on a weekly basis Dez and Drew Brees are certainly salivating at the thought of exploitable mismatches. Dez should see a marked spike in average separation and is a solid addition to fantasy squads in need of a fifth wideout.
Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas’ fantasy values are not affected by the acquisition of Dez. Both have firmly established roles that will not change with the new arrival to the offense.
Drew Brees’ rest of season outlook does not change much aside from the fact that we are now projecting him with a slightly higher week to week floor.
Tre’Quan Smith’s redraft value takes a major hit with this news as this acquisition signals a lack of confidence in the rookies ability to be a true difference maker down the stretch. Smith is no more than a flex2 or upside bench depth going forward.
Although they play different positions Benjamin Watson sees his fantasy value take a hit with the arrival of Dez Bryant. Third on the team in targets and receptions, Watson is bound to see his thirteen percent target share decrease with Bryant now in town. Watson maintains his upside TE2 value but the TE1 finishes will be fewer and farther in between (Watson was a TE1 four times this season).
Remember the hype? Cameron Meredith was never able to get it going for the Saints this season and will now fall down to fourth on the receiver depth chart and seventh on the target totem pole. Meredith is no more than a bench stash in 16+ team deep leagues.
