The game between the New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys is going to provide the oddsmakers with a massive headache. Drew Brees is still questionable for this game, and as of Thursday night, no book has hazarded a guess as to what this betting line will end up being. If Brees turns out to be the devastating "game-time decision," that's going to make this one all the more difficult to handicap.
For the purposes of this article, we're going to assume that Brees is going to be ready to go. However, that doesn't mean that we are totally onboard with the fact that he is healthy.
Brees has always been a dink and dunk quarterback with a propensity of hitting the big shot in the middle of the field to his big tight end, Jimmy Graham. With Graham now playing in Seattle though, Brees just hasn't had the ability to air it out. On one hand, that's good for his total completions. The future Hall of Famer has 54 completions in his two games played, and that would have put him on a pace for 432 completions, 7.75 fantasy points per game without even considering passing yards or touchdowns.
However, on the other hand, that short passing isn't what is going to help the Saints put points on the board. Just two passing touchdowns in two games for Brees is nothing to write home about, and matters might only get worse in this game against a Dallas defense which has been incredibly aggressive.
Yes, the Cowboys just allowed Devonta Freeman to run wild against them, but there was nothing in the scouting report which would have suggested the former Florida State running back being such a threat either on the ground or out of the backfield. Rod Marinelli is going to be fully aware of the threats that the New Orleans running backs in the passing game.
Brees has averaged just 17.15 fantasy points per game in his first two games of the season, a far cry from his average of 24.57 points per game he averaged last year.
We ask questions all the time if Peyton Manning has hit the end of the road, but maybe it's time to ask the same question about Brees, too. After all, he's 36 years old now, and his arm strength isn't what it used to be.
That's why we actually prefer Brandon Weeden's chances in this fantasy football showdown, as unreal as that sounds.
Weeden has been careful with the football, and that has put the Cowboys in range for a lot of scores so far in his short time on the field. Last week, Joseph Randle cashed in three of those drives for touchdowns, but this time around, Weeden might be a little more fortunate.
The bottom line here is that we know who Weeden is and what he brings to the table. Lance Dunbar caught 10 passes on 10 targets last week for 100 yards. That means a lot of checking down. The Saints' linebackers aren't good enough to stick around with such a weapon out of the backfield.
If Weeden can throw for even 150 fewer yards than Brees, we have a lot of confidence that he can win this fantasy challenge, knowing that the latter is going to be favored by a heck of a lot of points just due to general perception.
BookMaker will open the spread for this Sunday soiree before anyone else. Minute-by-minute NFL spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The game between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints is scheduled for Sunday, October 4, 2015, at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The game will be broadcast regionally on NBC.
