Brandon Marshall Fantasy: Outlook for WR After Signing With Saints

Brandon Marshall

Getty Former Seattle Seahawks WR Brandon Marshall

It was a rough week of practice ahead of Week 10 for the New Orleans Saints and wide receiver Dez Bryant. In one of the veteran wideout’s first days on the practice field with his new team, he suffered an injury which ended his season before it even started. As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is reporting, there was legitimate concern Bryant suffered a torn Achilles, which was later confirmed.

It’s a brutal blow for Bryant, who waited to find the right fit this season after being released by the Dallas Cowboys before the year. And as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported shortly after the injury news, it seems the Saints were working on a contingency plan in the form of another veteran wideout. Per Schefter, the Saints have opted to sign Brandon Marshall, who also worked out for the team along with Bryant recently.

With Marshall set to join the team, it makes him an intriguing name to watch moving forward. The role set to be held by Dez was as the team’s No. 2 receiver opposite Michael Thomas, which would have resulted in plenty of single coverage and great matchups. Let’s take a look at whether Marshall would make sense for fantasy football owners if he’s signed by the Saints.


Brandon Marshall’s Fantasy Football Value With Saints

This is an incredibly tough spot to gauge for a variety of reasons. Marshall, who’s 34 years old, spent the first seven games of the 2018 NFL season with the Seattle Seahawks. Over that span he wasn’t incredibly impressive, totaling just 11 catches for 136 yards and one touchdown. Even after an injury to Doug Baldwin opened up more playing time for him, the veteran was unable to step up.

Marshall received 18 targets in the opening three games of the Seahawks season but had just 120 yards and one score over that stretch. On the surface, it seems Marshall’s fantasy outlook is mediocre at best, but the Saints would be an ideal situation for any receiver.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to add Marshall, even as appealing as the Saints are as a new home, but he’s worth taking a chance on in 14-team leagues or above. I’d also consider adding him in 12-team leagues that have very deep benches and a flex spot but would temper expectations.

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