Fantasy Football 2018: Dez Bryant Signs with Saints

Dez Bryant is back in the NFL after months of speculation as he signed with the New Orleans Saints. What is the fantasy football impact of the deal?

The New Orleans Saints sit atop the NFC South with a 7-1 record, winning seven straight games. The team has many weapons at Drew Brees‘ disposal, including a dangerous 1-2 combo at running back. The front office felt it wasn’t enough as they met with and signed veteran Dez Bryant to a one-year deal. How does his involvement in the offense affect fantasy football?

Bryant played in all 16 games for the Dallas Cowboys last season, finishing with 69 catches for 839 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers are far below the 1,300-yard, 10-plus touchdowns seasons we were used to seeing.

He was 28th in yards, T-26th in touchdowns and 24th in receptions. Bryant’s new teammate, Michael Thomas, was sixth, T-37th and third, respectively last season.

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The Saints were in need of a No. 2 wide receiver. Thomas is the clear-cut top receiving option. Alvin Kamara is second and Ben Watson is third in team receptions. Tedd Ginn was placed on the IR and Tre’Quan Smith is a boom-or-bust type receiver.

While many think Bryant is not the same player he was in 2014, having a coaching staff as good as the Saints have could change people’s minds.

In New Orleans, he isn’t the No. 1 wide receiver. He won’t have the same pressure from the organization and fan base. Bryant should be able to play relaxed and show other teams he can still perform.

This is a win-win for all parties. The addition of Bryant, whatever his skill is will force defenders to at least pay attention to him, leaving Thomas, Kamara and Smith with more single coverage.

With Bryant expected to sign Thursday, don’t expect him to play in Week 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals. With enough practice, he should be ready in Week 11 against a familiar opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Saints do visit the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13, which will make that game more entertaining than it would be.

Bryant won’t see the same number of targets as he did in Dallas. He averaged eight targets per game. I’d see that number dip a little, likely five or six. He can still make something happen with those opportunities, though.

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Fantasy owners are already owned in some leagues. He’s up to 19 percent in ESPN leagues and 52 percent in Yahoo leagues. If you need a wide receiver at this point in the season, there’s no harm in making a speculative add in Bryant.

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