Fantasy Football Buy Low Candidate: Marques Colston Worth Trading For?

The reemergence of wide receivers like Greg Jennings and Dwayne Bowe in Week 6 served to remind us of why you don’t give up on preseason highly-ranked players.  They were ranked there for a reason, and while their performances may be disappointing at times, their potential and talent will shine sooner or later.

With that said, how exactly should we feel about the Saints’ Marques Colston? 

In one of my leagues I was offered him in a trade, but I find myself wondering if it makes sense to take him.  If I had drafted him prior to the season, I’d feel differently; I would want to hold on to him, hoping that sooner or later he rewards me for my patience.

Having not drafted him, however, I don’t hold that opinion.  I don’t care what he’s been ranked in the past.  It only matters what he is going to do from this point forward.  If I thought that he could produce and pay dividends, then it would be worth pursuing.

The million-dollar question is this: Can he return to potential WR No. 1 status?

He has 30 receptions for 340 yards and zero TDs thus far this season.  Only once has he surpassed 67 yards, having failed to reach 40 yards in two of his six games.  For someone who we wanted to believe was a No. 1 wide receiver prior to 2010, the production just hasn’t been there and certainly makes you wonder.

Part of the problem is the shear number of options that the Saints have in the passing game.  They have seven receivers with at least 15 receptions already this season.  We all knew that Drew Brees would spread the ball around, and that’s exactly what he’s done.  When you have an offense that is this diversified, it’s hard to depend on any one option for fantasy players.

You just never really know what type of targets he’s going to get.  Even with both Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas out of action, there are just no guarantees, right?  Well, lets look at the past few weeks:

• Week 4—Eight targets (Four receptions for 36 yards), tying him for second on the team with two other players.
• Week 5—12 targets (Seven receptions for 97 yards), leading the team by five targets.
• Week 6—Six targets (Five receptions for 53 yards), leading the team by one target as 11 different players were targeted.

The week and the defense is going to dictate the number of passes that are thrown Colston’s way, but he does appear to be one of the most constantly targeted receivers in the Saints offense.  The opportunities are clearly there; it’s just a matter of producing.

As for the touchdowns, he had nine TDs a year ago.  Three years ago, in his breakout campaign, he had 11 TDs.  How can we expect him to find the end zone this year?  That’s the one glaring problem with his production, but once he starts scoring, the way owners view him is going to change dramatically.

That tells me this: Sooner or later, he’s going to explode.  He’s proven to be too good in the past to think otherwise.  He’s had a slow start, but now may be the perfect time to try and get him cheap.  You aren’t going to feel the obligation to play him, having not endured his low point totals the first few weeks, but should reap the benefits of a hopefully impending breakout.

I’m going to try and acquire him, but what about you?  Do you see Colston as a usable player from this point forward or is he someone you want to avoid?

Make sure to check out our Week 7 Rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 15 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Kickers
• Top 15 Defenses
• Waiver Worthy
• Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em

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