CSC’s Fantasy Start/Sit: Saints vs. Lions

[EDIT: Michael Thomas has been ruled out for Sunday’s game at Detroit. I would move Emmanuel Sanders into the Start category and would also add Lions WR Marvin Jones into the start category with the news that both Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins will not play for the Saints.]

Start: Michael Thomas

The Saints star WR was a limited participant in practice on Thursday, and will look to be a full participant on Friday. Either way, he is trending towards playing Sunday in Detroit, and will potentially be the shot of adrenaline the Saints offense needs. Thomas is the best WR in football and should be able to help Brees air the ball out more. The Lions defense is 23rd against receivers in fantasy scoring so even if Thomas is not quite at 100%, he could still be in for a big day.

Sit: Lions RBs

The Lions have three RBs who are on over 47% of rosters currently, however, I would not play a single one this week. The reason is because for all of their shortcomings on defense so far, the Saints are still one of the premier run defending teams in the NFL. Kerryon Johnson and D’Andre Swift have both taken a back seat to veteran Adrian Peterson this season, so with the crowded backfield and tough matchup, I would not expect much from any of them this week. One of the three could possibly find the end zone, but do not expect the yards to be there in order to make it a quality fantasy performance.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Start: Kenny Golladay

Golladay is one of the more underrated receivers in the league, and caught a touchdown in his return to action last Sunday after missing the first two weeks. The Saints pass defense has struggled as of late, and a healthy Golladay could be in for a big performance as he is worked back into the rotation for Detroit.

Sit: Emmanuel Sanders

Sanders once again found the endzone Sunday night on his way to his best fantasy performance as a Saint. However, now that Thomas could be back, the volume will no longer be there for Sanders. His downfield presence has been hindered by Drew Brees’s lack of deep shots this season, and I do not see this changing this week. Sanders is too good of a player to be used this sparingly, and now that Sean Payton knows what he has with Brees this year, I expect him to try and get Sanders involved more. Last week could have been the start of this, but with the depth and uncertainty of the Saints offense, I would not feel comfortable starting Sanders this week.

Who would you start and who would you sit in week 4? Let us know in the comments. Make sure you follow Canal Street Chronicles on Twitter at @SaintsCSC, “Like” us on Facebook at Canal Street Chronicles, and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @HaydenReel.