Can We Find the Next Michael Thomas in the 2023 Rookie Class?

Corbin Young
January 17, 2024

Michael Thomas immediately earned target volume as a rookie with the Saints. In Thomas’ rookie season, the Saints had three receivers with over 100 targets, including Thomas (121), Brandin Cooks (117), and Willie Snead (104). As a rookie, Thomas ranked 21st in EP/G and third in FPOE/G with a 19% target share.

After Year 1, Thomas posted three consecutive seasons with 145 or more targets. Since 2010, a receiver has earned 145-plus targets in three straight seasons only 12 times. (Larry Fitzgerald landed on that list twice.) Thomas’ rookie season ranks 13th among rookie receivers with at least 100 targets, but there’s a 2023 rookie who garnered the most opportunities by all Year 1 players since 2010. Can this rookie become the next Thomas?

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Corbin Young

Week 1 RB Advanced Stats: Christian McCaffrey’s Return and Rookie Breakouts

Corbin Young September 12, 2025

It’s been a couple of seasons, but we’re back with the running back advanced stats for Week 1. The format of this article could evolve as the season progresses, since we will examine more than just the best and worst in various advanced metrics. We’ll utilize the Advanced Stats Explorer and other tools to analyze notable players that we want to buy or sell. Specifically,…...

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Is Keenan Allen’s Herbert Reunion the Most Overlooked Value Hack of 2025? 4 Wide Receiver Risers (Including 2 Rookies) Create Arbitrage Opportunities

Corbin Young August 26, 2025

Like any form of investment, we want to monitor the risers and fallers. That’s especially true with fantasy football, specifically wide receiver risers. In a previous article, we covered several Day 3 running backs rising in drafts, so it was logical to examine the receiver position. Unsurprisingly, we covered mostly Year 1 or Year 2 players, with a veteran joining a team late into the…...

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Why Woody Marks Could Be This Year’s Kyren Williams, and 5 Other Day 3 Running Backs Moving Quickly Up Draft Boards

Corbin Young August 14, 2025

We’ve seen Day 3 running backs move up the draft boards, and some with good reason. Day 3 running backs have been relatively helpful over the past few seasons, especially in their first two seasons. We saw Bucky Irving, Chase Brown, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. hit last season, with Isiah Pacheco, Chuba Hubbard, and Kyren Williams being other notables (though Hubbard broke out in Year…...