Opposing Defenses: 7th Easiest
Opposing Pass Defenses: 15th Easiest
It's always nice to have a piece of the New Orleans Saints' passing game, and a favorable schedule of opposing pass defenses makes that proposition even sweeter in 2017.
Overall, the Saints will play the league's 7th-easiest schedule of opposing defenses, and the passing game will take on the 15th-easiest schedule of opposing pass defenses.
With the Saints being one of the most pass-heavy teams in the league, this schedule not only benefits Drew Brees, but also his receivers, including Willie Snead, Ted Ginn Jr., and Michael Thomas. For this article, we'll focus on Snead as he was the most efficient of the current Saints' receivers during the 2016 season.
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Reception NEP Per Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willie Snead | 104 | 72 | 0.79 |
| Michael Thomas | 121 | 92 | 0.73 |
| Ted Ginn | 95 | 54 | 0.62 |
While Snead saw fewer looks than Thomas last season, he was more productive by our Reception NEP per target metric. Of the 42 receivers with at least 60 receptions last season, both Snead and Thomas ranked inside the top 20 in Reception NEP per target.
Now that Brandin Cooks in New England, New Orleans has 117 vacated targets, so both Snead and Thomas could see more looks this year. At Snead's current price, he's a pretty sweet value.
The fantasy playoff schedule is particularly kind to the Saints. As our Matt Blair noted in his playoff schedule piece, the Saints play the Jets and the Falcons (twice) from Week 14 to Week 16, two teams with pass defenses that we project to be among the 10 worst in the league.