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The New Orleans Saints made some news Thursday with reports they may be looking to trade some notable skill position players, and the first shoe to drop came Friday morning with the release of wide receiver Lance Moore. Moore had a disappointing season in 2013, with 37 receptions for 457 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games played, but he had at least 50 catches, 600 yards and six touchdowns in four of the previous five seasons and had the attention of fantasy football owners as a prominent target for quarterback Drew Brees.
The Saints now have a bit of a void in their passing game, but is someone in line to emerge as a fantasy option in 2014?
Kenny Stills played all 16 games as a rookie for the Saints in 2013, with 32 receptions for 641 yards and five touchdowns as largely a situational deep threat. He was the third-most targeted wide receiver on the team (51 targets), but with tight end Jimmy Graham in place and running backs Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas both being targeted more than 80 times last season that is not as good as it sounds.
The Saints are reportedly willing to trade Sproles and Thomas, with Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson taking over as the the team’s top two running backs if both are dealt, and that would open up opportunities in the passing game for others. Brees’s tendency to spread the ball around makes it hard for fantasy owners to consistently rely on any Saints’ wide receiver outside of Marques Colston, but Stills made the most of his chances last season and he is line to at least compete for a starting role heading toward next season.
2014 will not be the year Stills becomes an every week fantasy starter, if he ever reaches that level, but his already solid value in deep dynasty leagues is on the rise with the prospect of a bigger role. His potential value for next year may fluctuate some as the offseason goes on and the Saints’ roster takes shape, but Stills has a chance to be draftable as a WR4 or WR5 in 12 and 14-team leagues if he is officially named a starter at some point.
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.
