Saints Get Great News With Michael Thomas Injury Update

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

New Orleans Saints fans were jumping for joy when quarterback Jameis Winston appeared in the final preseason game as it sets him up for a start in Week 1. Well, the good news keeps on coming in New Orleans. Wide receiver Michael Thomas is expected to be ready in time to play against the Atlanta Falcons, too.

Michael Thomas Injury Update

NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan reported on Thursday that he "would be surprised" if Thomas is not in the starting lineup on Sept. 11. The All-Pro has been absent from practice for almost two weeks due to a lingering hamstring injury. Before that, Thomas was fully participating in team drills and exercises.

Of course, Thomas is also coming back from ankle surgery that cost him the entire 2021 season. It'll be interesting to see if that limits his snap count and workload early in the season. The presence of rookie Chris Olave and veteran Jarvis Landry should help alleviate any pressure Thomas will face.

This is great news for the Saints no matter how you look at it. Thomas has proven to be one of the most dynamic pass-catchers in the NFL when healthy. Keep in mind it was only three years ago that he led the league in receptions (149), receiving yards (1,725) and receiving yards per game (107.8).

It's worth watching whether or not Thomas can develop a quick connection with Winston. After all, the retired Drew Brees was the one throwing Thomas the ball during his most recent NFL game. In seven starts last season, Winston threw for 1,170 yards and 14 touchdowns (3 interceptions).

The Saints are slated as a 5.5 -point road favorite against the Falcons with odds set at -215 on the moneyline, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.