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Thomas, Barkley and other values for dynasty leagues

NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 30: Michael Thomas #13 of the New Orleans Saints runs with the ball during the second half of a game against the Seattle Seahawks at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 30, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

As I’ve written many times on this site, rookies are important dynasty pieces to keep tabs on, even after rookie drafts have taken place. They are volatile assets who can be improperly valued very easily. The same can be said of college prospects, where even more variables needs to be considered in order to see the forest through the trees. A keen dynasty player is always aware of the incoming college talent. Intermittently this season, I’ll be checking in on these young dynasty and developmental assets to keep you updated on recent developments, both on and off the field.

The rookies

One of the more polarizing prospects in last year’s draft due to a dissonance between his strong tape and lackluster college statistics, Michael Thomas is proving that his meager output at Ohio State was indeed a byproduct of their run-heavy scheme and not a result of any deficiency of his own. I argued before the draft that his 781 yards and nine touchdowns from his final collegiate season needed to be taken within the context of a 2015 Buckeye offense that only generated 2,455 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns total, and those that did are now reaping the rewards. Below are the aggregate stats for the Saints’ top three receivers in the four games since their Week 5 bye:

Player Tm G Snaps Targ Rec Yds TD aDOT YPR
Michael Thomas NO 4 247 32 26 344 3 8.8 13.2
Brandin Cooks NO 4 218 30 23 343 3 13.3 14.9
Willie Snead NO 4 220 28 22 226 0 6.3 10.3

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