Michael Thomas Fantasy Outlook: Should you draft Saints’ WR amid injury concerns in 2022?
Michael Thomas surprisingly missed all of last season due to recurring ankle problems. Thomas was awaiting surgery on two ligaments in his left ankle last summer, which ultimately led to a setback. The Saints – and fantasy football owners – are hoping Thomas’ injury woes are behind him and he can regain his 2019 form. During that season, the veteran wide receiver had 149 receptions (185 receptions) for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns.
However, Thomas is currently struggling with a hamstring injury that may prevent some Fantasy owners from drawing him in the early rounds of their Fantasy drafts. Below we take a look at Thomas’ fantasy prospects and where he stands at ADP.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Michael Thomas Injury Update: How long will Saints’ WR be out?
The veteran wide receiver appeared on track to play in the Saints’ regular season opener, but head coach Dennis Allen said Sunday that Thomas has a hamstring injury. after Nick Underhill. Allen did not provide a schedule or additional news about the injury. However, Beat writer Larry Holder wrote on Tuesday that the star wide receiver’s injury “doesn’t sound overly serious, but added that the injury is being monitored.” The good news is he’s not dealing with foot or ankle problems like last year.
As we know, with soft tissue injuries there is always an increased chance of kickback. Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time Thomas has struggled with a hamstring injury. In 2020, the 29-year-old wide receiver suffered a hamstring injury in practice that sidelined him for two weeks.
If Thomas isn’t ready to play by Week 1, the Saints’ top three wide receivers will be rookie Chris Olave, Jarvis Landry and Marquez Callaway. Last season, Callaway led the Saints in 87 goals, 46 receptions for 698 yards and six touchdowns. That being said, if Thomas is at 100 percent, we might enter him as WR1 since he’s often targeted by quarterback Jameis Winston this season.
STANDARD RANKINGS 2022:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | Top 200 | Superflex
Michael Thomas Fantasy Ranking and ADP
SN Fantasy has ranked the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver 22nd among WRs in Standard and 20th among PPR formats this season. If he’s healthy, Thomas can easily live up to that ranking, but some Fantasy owners might have some doubts given he’s got a new head coach and quarterback and a crowded group of wide receivers to contend with. The last time we saw Thomas on the field, Drew threw Brees at him.
In his injury-plagued 2020 season, Thomas had just 40 receptions (55 goals) for 438 yards in seven games. He didn’t score a single touchdown, which seriously hurt his standing in fantasy football. However, if we look back at what Thomas ’19 did, it was the complete opposite. The two-time All-Pro had 149 receptions (185 goals) for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns as the standings leader. This season he recorded 10 games for 100+ yards and 11 games for double-digit fantasy points in standard leagues. The 6-3, 212-pound pass catcher was also a monster in the PPR leagues, recording 14 games with more than 15 fantasy points.
At the start of this season, FantasyPros has Thomas’ ADP at 64th overall and WR27. The other recipients projected around the veteran wideout are Darnell Mooney (WR25), Allen Robinson (WR26), Amari Cooper (WR28) and Jerry Jeudy (WR29). This is a perfect spot for Thomas as it is mixed with guys who are on new teams (Cooper and Robinson) and another one coming back from injury (Jeudy). If he can be like what we saw 19 then Thomas could be a steal for anyone picking him up in fantasy football this season.
PPR RANKINGS 2022:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | Top 200 | Superflex
Michael Thomas’ fantasy outlook 2022
The question with Thomas is how much risk you can take. He may be considered one of the best wide receivers in the league, or at least add himself to the convo if he stays healthy, but Draft Sharks’ exclusive Injury Predictor tool puts the veteran wide receiver at an 81 percent chance of being injured this season and could almost miss two games. We know the potential is there for him to miss more. Despite the recent injury streak, Thomas has done a good job of staying healthy over the first four years of his career. During that span, Thomas averaged 117.5 receptions (150.5 goals) for 1,378 yards and nine touchdowns per season. He also had a ridiculous catch percentage of 78.1.
2022 FANTASY THRESHOLDS:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team
When he returns to the field this season, Thomas should resume his role as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver. However, Winston has other players who will take away the veteran’s target share like Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Jarvis Landry, Marquez Callaway and Taysom Hill. We shouldn’t expect Thomas to have 185 goals this season, but seeing 120 looks isn’t out of the question.
RANKING 2022 & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs
Despite all of this, Thomas can be one of the must-start wide receivers in fantasy if something gets in his way. First and foremost, Thomas’ health will be the most important as he struggles with a hamstring injury on top of his previous ankle problems. When health is good, he plays on an offense he’s comfortable with and has a starting quarterback who can and will throw tons of the ball. Thomas is currently probably a fifth or sixth-round wide receiver in fantasy, but he could easily top that.