This is the 27th of 32 Ceilings and Floors, covering each NFL team’s QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs. We continue with the NFC South with The New Orleans Saints. In case you missed it, here is the breakdown for the Carolina Panthers. (Depth Charts courtesy of footballguys.com)

Ceilings and Floors: Quarterback

QB1: Drew Brees

CEILING: Easy Breesy was actually unbelievable in 2019. If he had played all 16 games his stats extrapolate to 39 TDs, 4.333 yards, and only 6 INTs. He had a career-high 7.1 TD percentage, his 74.3 completion percentage was the second-best in NFL history behind Brees’ own mark of 74.4 in 2018. He also had a career-high quarterback rating of 116.3. Brees somehow continues to impress. A healthy 2020 with these weapons could look something like 42 TDs, 5,300 yards, and a continued onslaught of the NFL record books.

FLOOR: Brees is 41 now, and nobody beats Father Time forever. A regression looked like it was going to happen a few years ago, but the inevitable happens in 2020 and Brees regresses himself into retirement. He still throws 24 TDs and has 3,800 yards, because he is Drew Brees, first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.

PREDICTION: Brees is not done. He has been remarkably durable and consistently excellent every year he has played, and his knowledge and habits keep him at an elite level. New Orleans is going to be scary this year, and Brees will capitalize. 35 TDs, 5,000 yards, and real Super Bowl aspirations.

QB2: Jameis Winston

CEILING: If Brees goes down pre-season, Famous Jameis steps in. Due to his off-season surgery to fix his poor vision, he explodes in this system, throwing for 35 TDs, 5,000 yards, and less than 30 INTs. Crab Etouffee becomes a New Orleans staple.

FLOOR: Winston doesn’t play, and he spends the year learning from Drew Brees and Sean Payton, preparing himself to take over once Brees hangs up the cleats.

PREDICTION: Jameis Winston wound up in the best position possible. Brees has already signed with NBC to broadcast with them once he retires, which will be sooner rather than later. Winston can step right in with these weapons and revive his career in a big way. But I don’t expect any stats in 2020.

QB3: Taysom Hill

CEILING: Race ’em Taysom throws his first career passing TD, adds 9 rushing and receiving TDs, and records 800 yards rushing/receiving. He only completes three passes… for the third straight year. His 8.5 yards per touch in 2019 show real potential for counting stats outside passing.

FLOOR: He has less than 3 passes completed. How’s that for a floor? But he also only has 300 total yards and 2 TDs, as the Saints use him mostly as a decoy.

PREDICTION: We stop calling Hill a QB, considering he has one less completion in his career than Mohamed Sanu does. Hill is utilized as the weapon he is, and scores 5 TDs along with 400 yards. Kamara and Sanders will eat into his potential TD numbers.

QB4: Tommy Stevens

CEILING: Tommy Stevens is a cheaper, younger Taysom Hill, and replaces him if injured as a QB weapon. Still, he offers no real upside with Hill still on the roster through 2021.

FLOOR: Stevens does not embrace the role New Orleans wants for him, and winds up out of the league very quickly.

PREDICTION: Stevens makes sense in this offense as insurance for Hill., but expecting contributions from him early is not realistic.

Ceilings and Floors: Running Back

RB1: Alvin Kamara

CEILING: Kamara removes his nose-ring, thus enabling him to smell the red-zone again, and he gets his fantasy career back into gear. He scores 17 total TDs to go along with 1.700 yards. Kamara has caught exactly 81 catches in all three of his pro seasons, which I find astounding both in numbers and consistency. He is going to get his touches, he just needs to stay healthy.

FLOOR: Kamara has seen his yards per touch drop for two straight years, and the drop-off in 2019 was disconcerting. He didn’t look like himself. Kamara continues his downward trend, scoring 6 totals TDs and recording 1.200 total yards.

PREDICTION: Kamara had a down year in 2019, but his talent is undeniable. I expect a bounce-back year, 13 total TDs, 1,500 total yards, and a return to normalcy for the dynamic playmaker.

RB2: Latavius Murray

CEILING: Murray continues to get all the snaps when Kamara rests, and he continues performing admirably, scoring 8 TDs along with 800 total yards. It has been over two years and over 342 touches since Murray last fumbled.

FLOOR: Murray is 30 years old, RBs don’t last very long, Murray begins regressing, scoring 2 TDs while adding 350 total yards as he is phased out of the offense for better options.

PREDICTION: Murray is capable, dependable, and a quality option as a team’s second back. He is better as a real running back rather than a fantasy RB, but he should score 5 total TDs along with 600 total yards.

RB3: Dwayne Washington, RB4: Tony Jones

CEILING: One of the previous two guys goes down, and some combination of these two accounts for 4 TDs and 450 total yards. Washington has more experience but was not good before arriving in New Orleans, and has only had 36 touches in two years. Jones is a rookie without an overly-high ceiling, capable of filling in for short spells.

FLOOR: Neither play, and New Orleans is better because of it. If either of the two guys ahead of them on the depth chart goes down, New Orleans brings in outside help for RB depth.

PREDICTION: I am not high on either in any format including dynasty. The only scoring either will do will be on Bourbon Street.

Ceilings and Floors: Wide Receiver

WR1: Michael Thomas

CEILING: Michael Thomas is a force. He just destroyed the record for most catches in a season, has elite volume, excellent chemistry with Brees, and could be looking at a 16 TD, 2,200-yard season. Thomas gets his touches and will continue to do so. This is the standard-bearer for modern fantasy excellence.

FLOOR: 7 TDs, 1,200 yards. I really can’t think of many negatives. Any negatives. His floor is pretty absurd. You could nitpick and point out he has never scored more than 9 TDs, but I mean, really?

PREDICTION: Michael Thomas leads the league in catches once again, scores 11 TDs, and has 1,700 yards receiving. Thomas can make the case for WR1 in every single format. If you manage to get him, enjoy.

WR2: Emmanuel Sanders

CEILING: Sanders has a career 13 yard per touch average and has never played with WR that demands the attention Thomas does. Sanders could capitalize on this, scoring 7 TDs and adding 1,000 total yards, giving Thomas the best running mate of his career.

FLOOR: Sanders scores 3 TDs and has 600 receiving yards.

PREDICTION: Sanders may be 33, but he enters a prime situation where he has potent weapons surrounding him and the most accurate QB in NFL history. This is a dream scenario. I will take 6 TDs and 800 yards, from a guy who has been remarkably consistent throughout his career in yards per touch.

WR3: Tre’Quan Smith

CEILING: Despite missing time in each of his first two years, Tre’Quan Smith has back to back 5 TD campaigns to begin his NFL career. More career numbers? 46:10 touch:TD ratio. 14.4 yards per touch average, 0 fumbles. If Tre’Quan stays healthy and beats out Sanders, you could see a 10 TD, 900 yard season in this offense.

FLOOR: Tre’Quan’s real floor is he doesn’t play due to injury. But his healthy floor is being pushed down by Sanders and the other bigger name targets, seeing 20 touches, scoring twice, recording 200 yards receiving. He has lacked consistency in his career up to this point. He has 46 career touches…

PREDICTION: Tre’Quan is a blend of tantalizing talent and supreme disappointment. He has given us displays of his talent, what he could be, and then he is either hurt, or performing magical disappearing acts. I want to think he does well, but he has given me little to trust. I will say 4 TDs, 450 yards.

WR4: Deonte Harris, WR5: Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR6: Krishawn Hogan, WR7: Austin Carr, WR8: Emmanuel Butler, WR9: Marquez Callaway, WR10: Juwan Johnson, WR11: Maurice Harris, WR12: Tim White

CEILING: Only 4/9 of them get cut, and the rest play important roles in special teams. Good luck figuring out who moves up for any injuries, but I don’t expect them to receive many targets regardless. 1 TD, 150 yards, for this entire group.

FLOOR: 6/9 of them are cut, they do need WR depth because of Tre’Quan’s history. Still, the three who make it record zero stats whatsoever.

PREDICTION: You will have a hard time selling me on any of these guys, the talent above and around them makes them obsolete depth pieces. a healthy Tre’Quan will essentially eliminate any possibility of real impact. But I can see zero TDs, 100 yards from the 4 who make the roster.

Ceilings and Floors: Tight End

TE1: Jared Cook

CEILING: Jared Cook has improved his yards per touch for five straight years, recording a stellar 16.4 Y/Tch in 2019, which was a career-high. He also scored 9 times. Even at 33, in this offense, Cook has shown that he can be a major factor. 11 TDs, 800 yards, happy fantasy owners.

FLOOR: Cook having less than 5 TDs and 400 yards would require injuries. His situation with Brees is optimal, and if healthy, he is a very safe option at TE. The only real knock on his fantasy value is in dynasty, where 33-year-old TEs don’t hold the same value.

PREDICTION: Cook follows up a masterful 2019 with another fantastic 2018 showing. 7 TDs, 700 yards.

TE2: Josh Hill

CEILING: New Orleans starts running out more two TE sets. Hill takes advantage, and the increase in touches leads to 4 TDs and 300 yards. He scored 3 TDs on 25 touches last year, not too bad.

FLOOR: Hill is passed by Trautman, and contribues zero TDs along with 100 yards.

PREDICTION: Trautman is going to become the second most relevant TE in terms of fantasy by the end of the year. I see 2 TDs and 200 yards for Hill.

TE3: Adam Trautman

CEILING: Trautman quickly adapts to the NFL game, and scores 6 TDs along with 800 yards. His 12.9 college career YPC shows a lot of promise. If he can continue the growth he was showing in college into the NFL, we might be looking at a dynasty gem.

FLOOR: Trautman struggles to produce when facing superior talent than the FCS, and winds up recording zero TDs and 100 yards receiving on minimal targets as he struggles to adjust to the speed of the NFL.

PREDICTION: Trautman is going to be TE2 by the time the season ends. I like him for 3 TDs, 400 yards. I love him in dynasty as a player to stash.

TE4: Garrett Griffin

CEILING: Griffin makes the team and provides TE depth, catching one pass in garbage time. Please do not draft this guy.

FLOOR: Griffin is cut/waived by the Saints for the fifth time in two years.

PREDICTION: He once again is on the practice squad. He has no real value in any format. The selection of Trautman renders him useless, and I suspect if the Saints had not drafted a TE, they would have signed one. I know this is called Ceilings and Floors, but there’s only a floor here.

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