Fantasy Football 2018: Top 10 waiver wire Week 12 pickups

New Orleans Saints WR Tre’Quan Smith

It’s rare for Michael Thomas to get outshined by another wide receiver on the New Orleans Saints, but Drew Brees now has someone capable of doing that in rookie wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith. Before the season, the buzz began for Smith, who earned a starting job after Ted Ginn Jr.’s season-ending injury.

An even more dynamic weapon than the speedy Ginn Jr., Smith has looked like a possible breakout candidate for several weeks, but the targets and consistency weren’t quite there for the rookie until Week 11.

The Saints absolutely embarrassed the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, with Smith playing a huge role in that. He hauled in 10 passes on 13 targets, racking up 157 yards and a touchdown against an Eagles secondary that was both depleted and simply getting roasted at will.

That touchdown reception put Smith up to four on the season, and he’s only needed 22 receptions to pick up those scores. The man is averaging nearly 17 yards per reception, and he’s immediately emerged as one of the NFL’s scariest deep threats, more than replacing whatever the Saints could have expected from Ginn Jr.

Going forward, Smith is a must-own in the Saints high-powered offense, and patient fantasy owners were certainly rewarded if they were fortunate enough to have started him in Week 11.