Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks' Post-Week 7 Fantasy Reaction

The New Orleans Saints were coming off a bye when the team squared off against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, and Drew Brees apparently took the time off to regain his rhythm and revitalize the offensive unit.

While elite tight end Jimmy Graham didn’t amass big numbers in his return to action, he was used primarily as a decoy to trick the defense while he recovers from a shoulder injury.   

Player	Receptions	Targets	Yards	Average	Touchdowns
Marques Colston	6	10	111	18.5	0
Kenny Stills	5	5	103	20.6	1
Travaris Cadet	6	9	51	8.5	0
Brandin Cooks	2	3	23	11.5	0
Pierre Thomas	4	4	17	4.3	0
Mark Ingram	2	3	13	6.5	0
Austin Johnson	1	1	13	13.0	1
Josh Hill	1	1	8	8.0	0
Ben Watson	1	3	3	3.0	0
Robert Meachem	0	3	0	0.0	0
Jimmy Graham	0	2	0	0.0	0

On the other hand, wide receivers Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks had big statistical performances and were top targets for the day. Fantasy owners who have stuck with the inconsistent New Orleans players are now reaping the fantasy rewards.

It was just a matter of time before Brees and the offensive unit started playing as well as it did last season, and a tough matchup against Detroit wasn’t enough to keep Colston and Cooks from making a major impact.

Graham will be a more viable fantasy threat once he has fully recovered form his shoulder injury, but Cooks and Colston have both cemented themselves as flex options each week moving forward.

*Stats via NFL.com.

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