The hype surrounding Michael Thomas’ return was building steadily in recent weeks as he works his way back from multiple ankle surgeries. Unfortunately that came to a halt over the weekend when the Saints reported that he missed practice with a little hamstring injury.
While it’s promising that Thomas hasn’t experienced any recent setbacks with his ankle, the hamstring injury does increase his overall Injury Risk even more. If this truly is a mild strain then he should be ready to play by week 1, but if New Orleans is downplaying the severity, Thomas may not be ready to go when the season begins.
Thomas appeared in just seven games in 2020 and went on to miss the entire 2021 season recovering from a delayed ankle surgery. Then he needed a second procedure. It’s easy to forget that Thomas is just 29 years old, but his injury history remains very concerning.
According to our algorithm, Thomas’ Injury Risk now sits at 30%, which is concerning. His HPF is also in the Below Average category at 47%. These numbers could improve in a few weeks as that hamstring heals, but not enough to be confident that he can make it through the season without a significant issue.
Many view Thomas as an injury discount this year and someone worth targeting in fantasy drafts. I don’t see enough upside to take that risk, especially with the latest news that he injured his hamstring.
