By: Jonathan Goad

Dez Bryant has signed a one year deal with New Orleans, but he’s anything but a saint. We’ve all heard the rumors about his personality getting in the way of his performance and clashing with his teammates. However, I think Dez can make an impact, both in fantasy football and for the New Orleans Saints.

To be completely honest, I’m surprised it took this long for a team to sign him. He obviously has talent. From 2012-2014, he recorded at least 88 catches, 1233 yards, and 12 touchdowns— very solid numbers. He has dealt with his fair share of injuries, but in his last full season, 2017, he recorded 69 catches, 838 yards, and six touchdowns. That’s something the Saints can definitely use.

New Orleans has lost both Ted Ginn, Jr. and Cameron Meredith for the season. Dez should slot in as the number 2 or 3 WR once he’s up to speed on the playbook. There’s even a chance he’ll play this weekend. Talent wise, he’s probably the Saints second best receiver. He’ll take a little pressure off of Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. And at 6’2”, 220 pounds, he provides another big target for Drew Brees. Dez will for sure get some red zone looks.

Giving Drew Brees more weapons is dangerous. The Saints offense was already among the top in the league. Adding a guy like Dez Bryant could make them even scarier. Obviously, a lot depends on how quickly Dez gets up to speed and finds chemistry with Brees. What was a great offense has the potential to get even better.

While Dez will for sure make an impact for the Saints, he also has some potential to impact your fantasy team. Don’t expect him to come out and be the Dez from the years I mentioned earlier. He not the same guy. He’s 30 years old now and hasn’t played football since last season. However, if he finds a rhythm with Drew Brees, he could provide some value.

Dez is capable of providing WR2/WR3 value. Most likely he’ll be a in the WR3 conversation, though. I’m not at all advising to grab him and start him immediately. It’s going to take some time for him to shake off the rust. He’s worth grabbing off the waiver wire if someone hasn’t already. I wouldn’t start him this week, but I’d consider him for next week. He only started practicing on Thursday so he’ll likely be limited in his offense on Sunday. Next week could provide an opportunity to play him though.

The Saints are taking a chance on Dez Bryant. He should provide value for them. He should also provide some value to fantasy football owners who want to take the chance on him. It might take a couple weeks, but he’s worth stashing.