Fantasy Index

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Factoid

Michael Thomas

Brees, Thomas are masters of playing the percentages

The Saints are doing really cool stuff with Michael Thomas. They’re jamming a lot of balls his way, and defenses haven’t been able to take him away. Two years in a row, he’s caught over 80 percent of the passes thrown his way.

That’s unusual. In the last 29 seasons, only seven other wide receivers have had at least 100 targets in a season and caught more than 75 percent of the balls thrown their way. If you can even get over 70 percent on completions to a wide receiver, that’s good.

Pro Football Reference has a nice stat site. It includes targets dating back to 1992. According to those numbers, Thomas has the only two seasons with a wide receiver seeing at least 100 targets and catching over 80 percent of those throws.

I’ve got him in bold, and I’ve also tagged 2011 Marques Colston with a black dots. Colston underscores that while Thomas is great, some of the success needs to be attributed to Drew Brees and Sean Payton. Colston was an earlier, less talented version of Thomas, and he had a season at almost 75 percent while playing in the same role.

CATCHING 75 PERCENT OF PASS ATTEMPTS
YearPlayerTgtRecYdsAvgTDPct
2018Michael Thomas, N.O.147125140511.2985.0%
2019Michael Thomas, N.O.185149172511.6980.5%
2007Wes Welker, N.E.145112117510.5877.2%
2012Randall Cobb, G.B.1048095411.9876.9%
2017Golden Tate, Det.12092100310.9576.7%
2016Michael Thomas, N.O.12192113712.4976.0%
2009Wes Welker, N.E.162123134811.0475.9%
2015Doug Baldwin, Sea.10378106913.71475.7%
2016Doug Baldwin, Sea.12594112812.0775.2%
2015Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz.145109121511.2975.2%
2014Jarvis Landry, Mia.112847589.0575.0%
2016Stefon Diggs, Min.1128490310.8375.0%
2011• Marques Colston, N.O.10780114314.3874.8%
1992Curtis Duncan, Hou.1108295411.6174.5%
2019Tyler Lockett, Sea.11082105712.9874.5%
2008Wes Welker, N.E.149111116510.5374.5%
1994Jerry Rice, S.F.151112149913.41374.2%
2004Hines Ward, Pitt.10880100412.6474.1%
2018Adam Thielen, Min.153113137312.2973.9%
1994Terance Mathis, Atl.151111134212.11173.5%
1993Mike Pritchard, Atl.1027473610.0772.5%
2018Adam Humphries, T.B.1057681610.7572.4%
2011Percy Harvin, Min.1218796711.1671.9%
1999Keyshawn Johnson, NYJ12489117013.2871.8%
2016Jarvis Landry, Mia.13194113612.1471.8%
2014Randall Cobb, G.B.12791128714.11271.7%
2014Emmanuel Sanders, Den.141101140413.9971.6%
2003Derrick Mason, Ten.13395130313.7871.4%
2017Tyreek Hill, K.C.10575118315.8771.4%
2016Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz.15010710239.6671.3%
2018Keenan Allen, LAC13697119612.3671.3%
2014Antonio Brown, Pitt.181129169813.21371.3%
2001Troy Brown, N.E.142101119911.9571.1%
2019Chris Godwin, T.B.12186133315.5971.1%
1996Jerry Rice, S.F.153108125411.6870.6%
2018DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.163115157213.71170.6%
2008Eddie Royal, Den.1299198010.8570.5%
2011Wes Welker, N.E.173122156912.9970.5%
2015Antonio Brown, Pitt.193136183413.51070.5%
2018Tyler Boyd, Cin.10876102813.5770.4%
2015Golden Tate, Det.128908139.0670.3%
2015Jeremy Maclin, K.C.12487108812.5870.2%
2007Bobby Engram, Sea.13494114712.2670.1%
2019Cooper Kupp, LAR13494116112.41070.1%
2018Amari Cooper, Oak.-Dall.10775100513.4770.1%
2008Anquan Boldin, Ariz.12789103811.71170.1%
2002Hines Ward, Pitt.160112132911.91270.0%
2014Odell Beckham, NYG13091130514.31270.0%

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index