Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?? The New Orleans Saints are the first team in the NFL this year to punch their ticket to the playoffs, quite a far cry from when they started out 1-2. This was a closer game than we all would have liked, as the Atlanta Falcons capitalized on a Taysom Hill fumble, and had numerous chances to take the lead late. However, just like they always do, the Falcons choked and lost and are now tied for last place in the NFC South. The Saints now look forward to a game against the Eagles that very well could be Taysom Hill vs. the next Taysom Hill in Jalen Hurts. By the way, I was at this game in Atlanta and saw more Archie Manning jerseys than Matt Ryan jerseys, so confidence in the former MVP and Super Bowl losing QB for the Falcons does not seem to be all that high in the ATL.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

STUD: Taysom Hill

Hill threw his first NFL touchdown pass Sunday and once again picked apart the weak Falcons defense, completing 27 of 37 passes for 232 yards and no interceptions. Hill was not as effective running the ball as, other than a 43 yard scramble, he was only able to gain 40 yards on 13 other carries. The Falcons emphasized keeping him contained especially on QB draws as many of his running yards came form escaping the pocket. Hill is going to have to work on his ball security if he is going to be a full time starter in the NFL, as he fumbled twice Sunday including a costly give away that nearly allowed the Falcons to win the game.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

dud: Latavius Murray

Murray had gotten more touches than Alvin Kamara in the two weeks Taysom Hill has been under center. That changed this Sunday however, as Murray only ran the ball 5 times for 17 yards. Taysom Hill and Kamara were the focal point of the rushing attack for the Saints and Murray was unable to see much action. The Eagles run defense is pretty solid, so Murray could see his production come back down to Earth even more next week.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

STUD: Michael Thomas

Thomas looked the best he has all year against the Falcons in Week 13. He caught 9 balls for 105 yards and made many tough catches in traffic, especially on 3rd down. Thomas equaled his best fantasy performance with 14.5 ppr points, having a nearly identical stat line to the previous game against Atlanta. Thomas looks to be back on track after a very slow start since returning from injury. He is peaking at the right time as the Saints hope to hold on to the top seed in the NFC and could potentially be getting Drew Brees back soon.

Season Standings

Michael Thomas at long last makes his way into the STUD column, breaking a tie with Jared Cook for fantasy LVP. Taysom Hill moves into fourth place and could even move into a tie with Drew Brees should he have another good performance against the Philadelphia Eagles next week. Alvin Kamara remains firmly atop the standings for now with only the Saints D/ST within striking distance at the moment.

How did your fantasy team do in Week 13? 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, follow us on Twitter @SaintsCSC, on Instagram at @SaintsCSC, and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel. As always, you can follow me on Twitter at @HaydenReel.