Saints Fantasy 2015: The 5 Players Ready to Make an Impact

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Oct 19, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (12) carries the ball after making a catch during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Marques Colston:

ESPN: WR 42

Yahoo!: WR 43

NFL: WR 49

Before we get too into talking about Colston for this upcoming season, it may be worth pointing out that he has 666 career receptions as of right now. So, take that as you may!

Unfortunately for Colston only 59 of those came from last year, his lowest total since 2008 when he only played 11 games. His targets (99) and yards (902) were also his lowest since that same 2008 season. Obviously, last year was not his year.

However, a bounce back year for Colston is definitely on the table. Like I said before with Cooks, Graham’s absence opens up a massive amount of targets and they have to go somewhere. Colston is without a doubt Brees’ most reliable target on the roster this season, a trait that cannot be overlooked.

Colston has never been the burner that guys like Cooks are, but he still manages to make a living downfield. Despite near career lows in his other numbers, Colston managed 15.3 yards per reception, good for second best in his career. He is almost the opposite of Cooks: he lacks explosion through space and the raw speed to out run the defense, but he is quick off of the line and great at running his routes into space.

A lot of the extra targets headed Colston’s way will come in the red zone. At 6′ 4″, he is still a great red zone threat who has a real shot at reaching 10 touchdowns for the first time since 2012.

He is surrounded by risky players like Percy Harvin and Torrey Smith in the rankings, so Colston may be your best bet at guaranteed production among that particular group of players.

The departure of Jimmy Graham really clouds the picture for the Saints offense this season. Will Brees be able to redistribute Graham’s targets to the likes of Colston and Cooks? Does Cooks have what it takes to become a top receiver in the NFL? Will Mark Ingram and CJ Spiller anchor the backfield effectively? We cannot know for sure until the games get going, but the potential for great success is definitely present in these five Saints.