Fantasy Index

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Factoid

Michael Thomas

No doubt about it; Thomas is No. 1 receiver

Michael Thomas looks like an awfully safe choice to me. He’ll catch a ton of balls, and those guys are solid gold in PPR scoring.

Thomas, of course, caught a record 149 passes last year (I wish they had played him a little more in Week 17, capping him off at an even 150). The previous season he caught 125.

I don’t think anyone should select Thomas expecting another 140-plus receptions, but about 120 looks like a safe estimate. And if you catch 120, you’re going to have a good season in fantasy.

In the past, 22 wide receivers have caught at least 115 in a season. All but two of those guys finished no lower than 4th among wide receivers in PPR scoring.

One of those guys, as luck would have it, was Thomas himself – the 6th-best receiver in 2018. The other was Wes Welker (finishing 7th back in 2012).

But you catch passes, and it means you’re going to have a good year.

To me, Thomas is very much locked in as the No. 1 wide receiver. I don’t see another guy where there’s even a discussion. It’s Thomas, and he should be going with a top-5 pick overall in PPR drafts.

RECEIVERS CATCHING 115 PASSES
YearPlayerRecYdsTDPPRRk
2019Michael Thomas, N.O.1491,7259374.61
2002Marvin Harrison, Ind.1431,72211384.21
2015Antonio Brown, Pitt.1361,83410392.21
2015Julio Jones, Atl.1361,8718377.12
2014Antonio Brown, Pitt.1291,69813391.11
2018Michael Thomas, N.O.1251,4059319.56
1995Herman Moore, Det.1231,68614375.63
2009Wes Welker, N.E.1231,3484285.44
2012Calvin Johnson, Det.1221,9645348.41
1995Cris Carter, Min.1221,37117361.14
1994Cris Carter, Min.1221,2567293.64
1995Jerry Rice, S.F.1221,84815420.51
2011Wes Welker, N.E.1221,5699335.92
1995Isaac Bruce, St.L.1191,78113378.82
2012Brandon Marshall, Chi.1181,50811334.62
2012Wes Welker, N.E.1181,3546291.47
2003Torry Holt, St.L.1171,69612359.12
1999Jimmy Smith, Jac.1161,6366317.62
2008Andre Johnson, Hou.1151,5758322.51
2018DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.1151,57211337.51
1999Marvin Harrison, Ind.1151,66312355.71
2010Roddy White, Atl.1151,38910318.21
2018Adam Thielen, Min.1131,3739309.37
2018Julio Jones, Atl.1131,6778329.93
2013Pierre Garcon, Was.1131,3465279.511
2001Rod Smith, Den.1131,34311318.03
2012Andre Johnson, Hou.1121,5984295.86
2002Hines Ward, Pitt.1121,32912339.12
2017Jarvis Landry, Mia.1129879264.04
1994Jerry Rice, S.F.1121,49913363.21
2001Jimmy Smith, Jac.1121,3738297.05
1993Sterling Sharpe, G.B.1121,27411306.32
2007T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cin.1121,14312299.76
2007Wes Welker, N.E.1121,1758280.910
2018Davante Adams, G.B.1111,38613329.64
2015DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.1111,52111331.14
2014Demaryius Thomas, Den.1111,61911340.92
2018JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt.1111,4267298.98
1995Michael Irvin, Dall.1111,60310331.36
2003Randy Moss, Min.1111,63217378.01
2010Reggie Wayne, Ind.1111,3556282.53
1994Terance Mathis, Atl.1111,34211315.23
2008Wes Welker, N.E.1111,1653250.110
2013Antonio Brown, Pitt.1101,4998315.12
2015Jarvis Landry, Mia.1101,1574275.59

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index