Who Should I Start? Michael Thomas or Donovan Peoples-Jones

Wednesday, September 11, 8:40 PM

The National Football League on Wednesday announced that it has lifted the suspension of free-agent wide receiver Michael Thomas. Thomas was suspended for the first game of the 2024 NFL season for an incident with a construction worker near his home last year. The fact that the 31-year-old remained without a team all offseason is a sign that he may struggle to latch on with an organization despite the fact that he's past his one-game suspension. Just several years ago, Thomas was the best receiver in the league, but injuries have limited him to 20 games since the start of the 2020 campaign, and he played in just 10 games with the New Orleans Saints last year before a knee injury ended his season. He caught 39 passes for 448 yards and one touchdown in 2023. Thomas belongs on the waiver wire in all leagues and is unlikely to be on the fantasy radar in 2024.

Friday, May 9, 12:46 PM

The New Orleans Saints are hosting free-agent wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones for a tryout during minicamp, according to NOF's John Hendrix. Peoples-Jones totaled just 155 yards through 15 games in 2023, and he spent all of last season on the Detroit Lions' practice squad. However, we've seen glimpses of upside from the Michigan product before. He delivered a career year with the Cleveland Browns in 2022, catching 61 of 96 targets for 839 yards and three touchdowns. He has previously served as a big-play threat, making him an intriguing candidate to replace Marquez Valdes-Scantling in New Orleans. Valdes-Scantling, who landed with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, caught numerous deep passes from Derek Carr last season, allowing the Saints to strike quickly with big chunk plays. Peoples-Jones can provide a similar spark, but even if he makes the team, he'll merely fill a depth role behind Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks.