Emmanuel Sanders

Preseason

Chance of Injury in 2021:	64%
Chance of Injury per Game:	6.2%
Projected Games missed for 2021:	2.2
Durability:	6

Medium Risk

Emmanuel Sanders Player Overview

What You Need to Know:

-- No Saints #2 WR has topped 70 targets since 2017.

-- Sanders has finished 6 of the past 7 years among the top 33 PPR wideouts.

-- Drew Brees has led the league in completion rate each of the past 3 years.

-- New Orleans’ WR corps is due for a rebound in target volume.

Saints Weakness at WR2

In the 4 years since Michael Thomas entered the league, he has provided the 4 largest target totals by a Saint.

There have been just 4 other seasons of 100+ looks by a Saint in that span: 2 by Alvin Kamara, and the 2016 totals for Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead.

Behind those target totals sit Kamara’s 2019 (97 targets in 14 games) and Coby Fleener’s 2016 (81 targets). The next non-2016 WR season: Ted Ginn Jr.’s 70 targets in 2017.

That’s why the Saints signed Sanders this offseason, because their wideouts haven’t cut it over the past 3 years.

The #2 WR in targets last season was Ginn at 56. Next behind him: Tre’Quan Smith at just 25 targets over 11 games (2.3 per contest). He beat Taysom Hill by just 3 targets for the season.

A Reliable Vet

Enter Sanders, who has eclipsed 90 targets in 7 straight seasons, averaging 125 per 16 games over that span. He has also finished 6 of those 7 seasons inside the top 33 among PPR scorers at the position.

Pro Football Focus graded Sanders 23rd among 221 receivers last season and 24th among 215 the year before. And those campaigns ranked just 5th and 4th in receiving grade among his 10 seasons.

Drew Brees has a way of elevating pass-catchers. He has led the league in completion rate in each of the past 3 seasons. He has finished each of the past 5 seasons among the top 10 in yards per pass attempt, with 4 of those landing him among the top 7. Brees just set a career high in TD rate in his age-40 season, after delivering his 5th-highest rate at 39.

Sanders got to play with 2014 Peyton Manning in Denver (39 TD passes). But his QBs since…

Emmanuel Sanders Injury History

Date	League	Injury	Details
Dec 5, 2018	NFL	Pedal Achilles Tear Grade 3	Sanders ruptured his right Achilles' tendon in a Wednesday practice, had surgery the following day and missed the rest of the season.
Dec 14, 2017	NFL	Pedal Ankle Bruise	Sanders suffered a bone bruise in his right ankle against the Colts in Week 15 and missed the final 2 games.
Oct 15, 2017	NFL	Pedal Ankle Sprain Grade 2	Sanders sprained his right ankle in the 3rd quarter of Week 6 and missed the following 2 games.
Nov 15, 2015	NFL	Hand Finger Sprain/Pull Unspecified	Sanders sprained a finger and missed the next game, though the high ankle sprain might have caused that.
Nov 8, 2015	NFL	Pedal Ankle (high) Sprain Grade 3	Sanders sprained his left ankle against the Colts. He played on it in Week 10 but left that game early -- with other issues -- and then sat out Week 11. He later revealed it was a high-ankle sprain.
Oct 18, 2015	NFL	Shoulder A/C Joint Sprain	Sanders sprained the A/C joint in his left shoulder but was able to play through the injury.
Aug 6, 2015	NFL	Thigh Hamstring Strain Grade 2	Sanders pulled his right hamstring and sat out the entire preseason. He returned for Week 1.
Nov 16, 2014	NFL	Head Cranial Concussion Grade 1	Sanders got a concussion after he took a huge hit in Week 11. He was able to make it back the following week.
Nov 2, 2014	NFL	Chest Rib Bruise	Sanders was taken out of the game after taking a big hit. He was examined and diagnosed with a bruised rib then returned to the game.
Aug 4, 2014	NFL	Thigh Hamstring Sprain/Pull Unspecified Grade 1	Sanders sustained a "slight" right thigh strain and missed some preseason time.
Dec 22, 2013	NFL	Knee Patella Sprain	Sanders left the Week 16 matchup at halftime with a patella sprain and missed the remainder of the game but was able to return to practice.
Dec 16, 2012	NFL	Chest Rib Fracture	Sanders cracked a rib in Week 15 and left the game in the 3rd quarter. He did not miss the following week's game, though.
Dec 6, 2011	NFL	Pedal Foot	Sanders missed 3 games with inflammation in his surgically repaired right foot.
Oct 30, 2011	NFL	Knee Meniscus Tear	Sanders needed arthroscopic surgery to repair his left meniscus. He missed 2 games and then returned after the Week 11 bye.
Aug 1, 2011	NFL	Pedal Foot	Sanders had bone marrow and calcium injected into his previously repaired left foot to promote healing. He missed the 1st 3 preseason games.
Apr 4, 2011	NFL	Pedal Foot Fracture	Sanders had surgery in April after developing a stress fracture in his left foot.
Feb 6, 2011	NFL	Pedal Foot Fracture	Sanders broke a bone in his right foot in the 2nd quarter of the Super Bowl loss to the Packers and required surgery.
Sep 15, 2010	NFL	Leg Quad Bruise	Sanders lost 3 games to a quad injury that he admitted was worse than he initially believed. He returned after the Week 5 bye.

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