Team news: Dallas Cowboys | Page 79

Saints WR Brandin Cooks had surgery on that injured thumb and is actually out 4-6 weeks, per his agent.

Cooks' best-possible return based on this new timetable is Week 16, a home game against Atlanta. While it's a good matchup, one would have to wonder just how much Cooks is used anyway, so you may want to consider dropping him in redraft leagues. Kenny Stills stands to benefit with Cooks out of the lineup. Pierre Thomas should also return to draw some targets.

New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Brandin Cooks broke his thumb in Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and could miss as much as a month, according to reports.

Cox Sports Television first reported the news Monday morning, as did NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport.

Cooks, the Saints' first-round draft pick in May, has 53 receptions for 550 yards in his rookie season.

Saints coach Sean Payton will meet with the media later Monday, although he typically doesn't discuss injuries.

Cooks is second on the Saints in receiving yards after tight end Jimmy Graham. His absence would leave Marques Colston and Kenny Stills as the top two WR targets for quarterback Drew Brees. Stills is a guy likely on wires who could see an increase in targets as a result. The Saints play Monday night in Week 12 at home against the Ravens.

Chances are, all of the Saints' receivers and tight ends will see slightly more targets instead of any one player replacing Jimmy Graham's production. That could mean a little more from Brandin Cooks, Kenny Stills, Benjamin Watson and Josh Hill. But the player that New Orleans will likely count on most is receiver Marques Colston, who works the middle of the field and the red zone in a similar fashion.

Colston has been up and down all season with some clutch catches but also a costly fumble in Week 1 and several drops. Quarterback Drew Brees will remain confident in him on those crucial third-down throws, though.

"I don't think it affects the receivers with Jimmy being out, other than it gives them more opportunities. I mean, Jimmy's balls have to go somewhere," Brees said. "Listen, that's Ben Watson, that's Josh Hill, the tight ends as a whole. And those guys are certainly capable and will do a great job, I've got so much confidence in them. But as a receiver corps, you just know throughout the course of a game those balls are getting spread out … you don't know how things are going to shake out."

The article identifies Colston as the biggest beneficiary, so owners should be more willing to plug him in the lineup after a rough start to the season. We believe that Josh Hill is the best play of the two tight ends, though it doesn't sound like he's going to see a huge number of snaps with Graham likely sidelined.

How will the Saints replace Jimmy Graham?

The Saints could choose to reduce the number of multiple tight end packages and go with more four-receiver looks against Detroit. That would mean increased snaps for Brandin Cooks, Marques Colston, Kenny Stills and Robert Meachem. It could also mean the Saints choose to activate a fifth receiver on game day -- either Joe Morgan or Nick Toon.

Graham's absence will increase the workload for Ben Watson and, to a lesser extent, Josh Hill. We'll start to find out this week if recent tight end acquisition Tom Crabtree will have a meaningful role in the offense.

Finally, don't overlook running back Travaris Cadet. The Saints like lining him up outside as a receiver in four- or five-receiver sets, and there could be more of those on Sunday.

Hill is more of a "move" TE than Watson, though it was Watson who was targeted heavily (7) when Jimmy Graham was injured. Hill has a couple of touchdowns on the season and can run. Hill played a season-high 32 snaps in Week 5, so he figures to get extra snaps with Graham out.