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Spotlight - WR Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints

Posted on 7/2, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Jason Wood's Thoughts

The 2007 New Orleans Saints were a source of massive frustration during the month of September. Coming off a breakthrough 2006 season, the entire offensive cast was expected to do great things for fantasy owners last year. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the team got off to a woeful start as QB Drew Brees threw just one TD against 9 interceptions through the first four games.

It's fitting that Marques Colston was the recipient of that lone touchdown pass from Brees, as it was Colston's monstrous rookie season in 2006 that most personified the dream season they enjoyed in 2006. But catching one TD in four games was hardly what fantasy owners were expecting from the 2nd year receiver.

Colston, a 7th round draft choice out of Hofstra, shocked the world with a 14th place fantasy finish as a rookie, going over the 1,000-yard mark in just 14 games played. Yet, thanks to Brees' rough start last year, Colston looked like a disappointment, too...

Colston's numbers through Week Five (4 games), 2007

• 22 receptions
• 216 yards (zero 100-yard games)
• 9.82 yards per reception
• 1 TD

But then a light went on. It was as though the Saints realized they were better, MUCH better than their September numbers indicated. And just as Brees ended up putting together MVP numbers over the final 12 games, so too did Colston reestablish himself as a fantasy stud...

Colston's numbers from Weeks Six through 17 (12 games), 2007

• 76 receptions
• 986 yards (4 100-yard games)
• 12.97 yards per reception
• 10 TDs

When all was said and done, Colston finished as the 8th best fantasy receiver for the year, but was the 3rd best receiver over the final 12 games of the season.

Entering his 3rd season, there's no reason why Marques Colston shouldn't produce WR1 numbers again. At 6'4", 233 pounds, Colston is an impossible matchup for most defensive backs. He's as potent a red zone weapon as any WR not named Terrell Owens or Randy Moss. And considering he's only entering his 3rd season, it's not unreasonable to expect further natural improvement. That's SCARY, unless you happen to own him in your fantasy league.

Positives

• The Saints have a prolific passing offense that returns intact, with Colston being Drew Brees' favorite target
• Colston has the size and strength to dominate defensive backs in tight spaces, but has the run-after-the-catch ability to produce in the open field. He was among the league leaders last year in yards-after-the-catch AND red zone TDs
• Entering his 3rd year, Colston should be in line for further improvement, which means he could be THE top fantasy receiver if things fell right

Negatives

• Colston isn't a burner, so big, physical defensive backs (the few that exist) can stick with him down field
• Given the strong start to his career, Colston isn't going to come cheaply in drafts this year

Final Thoughts

I'm hard pressed to find a reason to discount Marques Colston this year. He's big, young, talented, productive and in a stable, highly capable offensive system. He delivered a 1,000-yard season as a rookie, and then followed that up with a top-8 season a year ago. If you consider the month of September an anomaly (as I do), he was a top 3 receiver the rest of the way. If you don't want to spend a 1st round pick on Randy Moss or spend an early 2nd round pick on the likes of Reggie Wayne, do yourself a favor and target Colston in the 3rd round if at all possible. He's worth it.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

fightingillini:
I wasn't high on Colston last year.....thought he may regress like Michael Clayton did......boy was I wrong. Colston convinced me that he's for real......a potential top 5 WR. He plays in a pass friendly offense where he's the 1st option, and benefits greatly from the attention Reggie Bush gets.

The Man with the Plan:
He's just a cut below the elite receivers in the NFL but he's still really really good. Outside of Wayne and Moss he seems to have the best offensive team around him or at least the most stable. That counts for something.

Warriors Forever:
Colston has to be one of the most undervalued WRs in fantasy football. He started the year last year with a bad back and exploded in the second half of the season. He is a top 5 talent.

Jon_Moore:
When he did it as a rookie, I thought it was a fluke. I was certain we were looking at Michael Clayton 2.0. So, to spite me, he went out and adds 200 yards and 3 tds. If anyone still buys the 3rd year is the break-out year, what oh what does this young man have in store for us? The saints are going to pass---they ranked 1st in attempts, completions, 2nd in Yards. Colston's the best receiver, and if Bush doesn't step it up, the best player on the team. He's going to get his, and someone else's.

Iwannabeacowboybaby!:
We all talk about buy low, sell high and if you did that.......bought low on Marques Colston after his slow start last season, you were a happy owner. Marcques Colston has simply turned into a fantasy stud. His first two seasons in the NFL, he's over 1000 yards and last season catching nearly 100 balls and double digit Td's.

For whatever reason, Colston is still slightly underrated, maybe it's because he plays for the Saints but this guy is the real deal. There's no reason why this guy doesn't have another great season.

Marques Colston Projections