Several critical fantasy football players are coming in with questionable statuses into their Week 9 games with Sunday kickoff fast approaching. One such player is New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas who has not played since Week 1 due to injury. With the WR having missed so much time in 2020, we can’t help but ask, is Michael Thomas playing today? Thomas has missed several weeks and comes into the rematch of their season opener with a questionable status. Will the Saints and fantasy managers have Thomas available for their Sunday night primetime game?
Michael Thomas has been practicing in the teams lead up to Week 9
According to The Athletic’s Katherine Terrell, Michael Thomas was back on the practice field Wednesday for the Saints. This was a massive step in the right direction for Thomas, who has been out since playing in Week 1 for a laundry list of reasons. Thomas was able to log back to back days of practice with no setbacks, which puts him in a great spot to return to the field on Sunday night.
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Michael Thomas suffered an ankle injury in the team’s season opener against the Buccaneers, which was the initial reason he was going to miss some time. As he worked his way back, Thomas got into an altercation during practice, which resulted in him punching teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The team suspended Thomas for a week due to this incident. Yes, this is the same person that Chicago Bears WR Javon Wims punched in Week 8.
Then, Thomas had another setback, this time with his hamstring. During the week of practice leading up to Week 7, he injured his hamstring and has missed the last two weeks while it healed. The fact that Thomas has been able to get through practice with no setbacks is a good sign.
Is Michael Thomas playing today?
All signs point to yes, Michael Thomas will be playing today. The downside for fantasy is that the game isn’t until 8:20 PM, meaning you will not have a definitive answer until 6:50 when the teams post the inactive list. However, Thomas has logged three straight days of practice with no setbacks is all the clarity that I need to slide him into the top 10 in my wide receiver rankings for the week.
Additionally, Adam Schefter reported on Sunday morning that Michael Thomas is expected to be on the field in the Saints Week 9 matchup with the Buccaneers.
The impact of getting back the 2019 WR1 can’t be understated and should be a huge help for Drew Brees and fantasy managers alike. Especially going against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that can be difficult to move the ball against, and the team having questions surrounding Alvin Kamara and Emmanuel Sanders.
Related | Fantasy WR Injury Report: Week 9 injury updates on Michael Thomas, Calvin Ridley, others
Going back to his two games against the Buccaneers last year, Thomas put up 11 catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the first matchup, and then eight receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown in the second game.
Thomas is likely going to get shadow coverage from Carlton Davis again this week. In Week 1, he covered Thomas on 21 of his 29 routes, including 19 of 20 on the perimeter. Thomas caught just three of his five targets for 17 yards and was kept out of the endzone.
However, we know that Michael Thomas suffered an ankle injury in that game, and this is the same cornerback who gave up those huge performances in 2019 to Thomas. Even with Carlton Davis sticking to him, I expect Thomas to have a big game.
Will Emmanuel Sanders play in Week 9 alongside Thomas?
After missing games against the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears due to going on the reserve list, Sanders will be back with the team on Sunday. Sanders talked about feeling “off” at practice before symptoms of a 102-degree fever, chills, and body aches kicked in.
Right before Sanders went on the reserve list, it seemed the chemistry with Brees had finally started to click after having no offseason to become familiar. In Week 4 and Week 5, Sanders saw 23 targets, catching 18 of them for 215 yards. His finishes of WR23 and WR9 in PPR formats are the best games Sanders has had since Week 14 of 2019.
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Tommy Garrett is a writer for PFN covering Fantasy Football. You can read more of his work here and follow him at @TommygarrettPFN on Twitter.