Is Michael Thomas Playing in Week 8? Fantasy Football Injury Update

Few players have had their careers so disrupted by injuries as that of Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas. In 2019, he led the league in receiving yards and set the all-time record for receptions in a single season.

Since then, he’s played 10 games in the past one and a half seasons.

Will he ever stay healthy again, and will he play in Week 8?

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Michael Thomas’ Unprecedented Talent

Michael Thomas was an immediate star after winning a championship at Ohio State and being drafted by New Orleans in the second round, making six catches on six targets in his first game and finishing his rookie season with 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns. In each of his next three seasons, he increased his reception totals and yardage totals, leading the league in receptions in 2018 and 2019.

By the end of the 2018 season, he was recognized by his peers and his team’s front office as one of the best in the league. His colleagues voted him as the 14th-best in the NFL Top 100. The Saints extended him for five years at $20 million per year before the 2019 season.

The investment paid off for one season. Thomas dominated in 2019, and Drew Brees fed him. He was targeted 185 times in 16 games. He made double-digit catches in nine games and had 10 100-yard games.

Michael Thomas’ Injury History

Things would take a terrible turn in 2020. Thomas sprained his ankle in Week 1 and missed the next six games. It was at that time he also began showing signs he was having problems with the team. During one practice, he got into a fight with CB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. He returned for six games in the middle of the season, had two 100-yard showings, missed the final three games, and then was back for the playoffs.

But his ankle needed surgery, and ignoring team doctors’ advice, he tried to rehab on his own. It wasn’t until June 2021 that he had surgery, and he would never recover in time for the season. Unfortunately, he suffered another setback, and by November, he announced he would not be able to return at any point in the season.

Going into the 2022 season, fans, managers, and analysts debated and anticipated what Thomas would look like in his return.

Michael Thomas in 2022

Things looked good out of the gate. In Week 1, Thomas caught five passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns. By Week 3, the 29-year-old, who had been going at an ADP of WR32, was the WR13 in standard scoring and the WR16 in PPR.

But then, in Week 3, after making five catches, he left the game with an injury on his other foot…

While the injury was initially described as “not serious,” Thomas has missed every game since then. It’s been the worst kind of injury for a fantasy manager: you are led to believe the guy will be back soon and contributing, so you keep a bench spot for him, but then week after week, “questionable” designations change to “out” by game time, and you end up seeing your guy miss a quarter of the season and wonder if he’ll ever be back.

Will Michael Thomas Play In Week 8?

It doesn’t look like it. Thomas hasn’t been practicing this week, either. In fact, he hasn’t logged a single practice since Week 3. He’s listed as “questionable,” but it really seems more like doubtful.

Fantasy managers still holding onto Thomas need to think hard about whether he is really worth it. He has already missed four straight games, and he’s in line to miss another and most likely many more after that.

Who Should I Start On The Saints in Fantasy Football?

Not only is Thomas missing practices, but fellow WR Jarvis Landry is too (also for the nth week in a row), and so is TE Adam Trautman. With the Saints' WR core depleted, surprise players have stepped up. Rookie Chris Olave is the alpha WR1, leading the team with 495 receiving yards, and he is a must-start every week.

Tre’Quan Smith is the Saints’ second-leading receiver in yardage. He has made eight catches for 102 yards and one touchdown over the past two games. Backup TE Juwan Johnson has made nine catches for 73 yards and two touchdowns while filling in for Trautman the past two weeks. Jack-of-all-trades athlete Taysom Hill (who is listed as TE for fantasy purposes) has done everything, scoring TDs as a rusher, receiver, and passer.

Tre’Quan Smith is a solid flex play against Las Vegas if you are in a jam. Taysom Hill is a top-tier TE, whether or not Trautman plays, and Juwan Johnson is a quality start at TE if Trautman is out.

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