Saints Fantasy Preview

[The Lung]

From: http://fantasy.sportingnews.com/nfl/experts/kyle-whitfield/20090812.html

Saints: Another offensive party?

WHAT'S NEW

No. 1 in points per game. No. 1 in yards per game. No. 1 in passing yards per game. No. 1 in touchdowns scored.

The Saints were the life of the fantasy football party last season led by quarterback Drew Brees, who fell 16 yards short of breaking Dan Marino's single-season passing yards record. His 34 touchdowns didn't go unnoticed either.

RB Pierre Thomas was the must-have late-season pickup in 2008. WR Lance Moore became fantasy relevant. And WR Marques Colston had a strong second half and is a top-10 WR this season despite having microfracture surgery on his left knee in the offseason.

New Orleans' situation in the backfield, however, is about as muddy as the Mississippi River. RB Reggie Bush will steal some carries from Thomas, the predicted workhorse, and former Denver RB Mike Bell has emerged as a viable backfield option.

But one projection is sure to pan out -- the Saints' defense with new coordinator Gregg Williams will be improved. A sounder defensive unit means the Saints won't be down two scores early in games, which contributed to them passing 62 percent of the time last season.

An enhanced defense -- and an unenviable schedule -- still won't alter the Saints' offensive game plans. Brees is still the No. 1-ranked fantasy quarterback, and Thomas, Bush, Colston, Moore, Jeremy Shockey and Devery Henderson make the Saints fantasy owners' best friends.

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