The Saints are not marching into their Week 7 matchup against the Broncos. Rather, they are hobbling in. With Chris Olave (concussion), Rashid Shaheed (meniscus), and Taysom Hill (ribs) already declared out for the game, rookie receiver Bub Means elevates to Spencer Rattler’s de-facto No. 1 pass-catcher.
Means is coming off his best game as a pro, when he caught five of eight targets for 45 yards and a touchdown against the Bucs. The former Pitt Panther benefited the most from Olave’s injury and now sees a clear path to the top of the team’s target totem pole.
With the injuries at receiver, Means has a chance to be a target hog and a true Week 7 fantasy football sleeper. Let’s dive in and see why.
BUB MEANS: THE UPSIDE IS REAL
The COVID/NIL Era of college football made this year’s draft class one of the more interesting classes of all time. It had a bunch of typical early entries, but it’s full of fourth, fifth, and even sixth-year players who transferred a time or two to further develop.
Bub Means fell into that category as a fifth-year senior.
Means started his career as a cornerback at Tennessee and transferred to play receiver at Louisiana Tech before then finishing his career at Pitt. Over his final two seasons at Pitt, he had 68 receptions for 1,122 yards (16.5 avg) and eight touchdowns. In 2023, he utilized that speed by only trailing Rome Odunze (43) with 34 targets of 20-plus yards.
Measuring at 6-foot-1, 212 lbs with massive hands (10⅛ inches) and long arms (33¼ inches), he proved he is one of the better athletes at his position at the NFL Combine by running a 4.43 40-yard dash and recording a 39½-inch vertical.
Means may be on the older side, but he’s still relatively raw as a receiver and should only get better from here. The upside is relatively untapped.
BUB MEANS FANTASY OUTLOOK: WEEK 7 VS BRONCOS
As noted, Means wasn’t able to crack the lineup until Olave exited Week 6. Then, the team turned to Means, Mason Timpton, and Cedrick Wilson, who will also be the team’s three healthy receivers on Thursday night.
In Week 6, Means played 50 of 70 snaps, while Tipton saw 29 snaps and Wilson was on the field for 36. Means displayed clear chemistry with his rookie signal caller and ran a route on 71% of dropbacks. That number should boost with Olave and Shaheed out of action.
Although these numbers are trending in Means’ direction to be a valuable Week 7 sleeper, the matchup with the Broncos, who will be without Patrick Surtain Jr. (concussion), is a tough one, even without their All-Pro corner. Its defense is allowing the second-fewest yards per pass play this season and they get to feast on a rookie quarterback. The loss of Surtain gives Rattler, Means, & co. hope, but it doesn’t make this matchup ideal, especially with a low 37 total.
If a WR like DeMario Douglas is available, I would choose him over Means. However, if you are in a deeper league and want some TNF action, Means is your guy. Sprinkling his +400 anytime touchdown and his ‘over’ receiving props, would be a couple of sneaky plays to take advantage of his expected target share and playing time.
Check out The Wolf’s Week 7 Fantasy Rankings to see where he lines up among the other WR sleeper options.
