Marshon Lattimore

Lattimore remains the Saints' No. 1 cornerback as the team heads into the 2022 campaign. In the 16 games in which he played last season, he recorded a career-high 68 tackles, while also totaling 19 passes defensed and three interceptions. What comes with being a top corner is the potential for limited opportunities for fantasy impact if opposing quarterbacks avoid throwing in his direction. Regardless, Lattimore has the talent to continue to be a key part of the Saints' formidable defense.

Far and away the Saints' top cornerback in the absence of Janoris Jenkins, Lattimore may not see many passes come his way in 2021 if opposing quarterbacks pick on whoever works as the No. 2 corner. The best the Saints can pair with Lattimore on the outside is third-round rookie Paulson Adebo, but it's a position that's difficult to excel at from the get-go. Just ask last year's No. 3 overall pick, Jeff Okudah. Of course, Lattimore was an exception to the rule when he won the 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and his real-life excellence could continue to prevent him from attaining fantasy relevance.

The two-time Pro Bowl corner and 2017 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year is back for his fourth season after an impressive 2019 campaign. Last year, Lattimore allowed just a 50.0 percent completion percentage, a 79.4 passer rating and only three touchdowns on 88 targets thrown his way. The 23-year-old has established himself as one of the best cover corners in the NFL and should be poised to take on a larger role in 2020 thanks to the loss of Eli Apple in the offseason. Despite his elite real-world play, Lattimore is best suited for deeper IDP formats in fantasy due to the lack of opportunities his shadow coverage provides.

Despite playing in three more games during his second NFL season, Lattimore noticed a marginal dropoff in his overall production from his standout rookie campaign. The Saints' passing defense as a whole took a step back accordingly, but there's little reason to question Lattimore's credentials as one of the league's top cover men. Even while seeing his pass breakup and interceptions totals fall from 18 to 12 and five to two, respectively, Lattimore still graded out as the Pro Football Focus' 16th-best cornerback. It was particularly encouraging to see his defensive stats trend back up when the Saints dropped the struggling Ken Crawley from the starting lineup in favor of trade-deadline pickup Eli Apple, whose arrival prevented opposing quarterbacks from avoiding Lattimore to the extent they had before. With Apple back in the fold for 2019, Lattimore should continue to get plenty of play-making chances and swing some games in the process.

The 11th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, Lattimore was a rookie sensation. The former Ohio State Buckeye's 52 total tackles, 18 passes defended and five interceptions helped the Saints turn around a doormat defense that ranked dead last in yards allowed in 2016. In fact, Lattimore was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and his five picks were tied for fifth-most in the league. Unfortunately, Lattimore's incredible success as a rookie may be a Catch-22 for his fantasy value. Often the best NFL cornerbacks do not make significant fantasy contributors because opposing quarterbacks tend to avoid throwing to the side of the field that those cornerbacks defend. With Lattimore already earning a reputation as an elite cover corner, quarterbacks may choose to test the likes of Ken Crawley or P.J. Williams rather than throwing at Lattimore.

New Orleans nabbed Lattimore with the 11th overall selection in the draft and the talented cornerback will instantly slot into the starting lineup opposite Delvin Breaux while joining a secondary that also sports Kenny Vaccaro and Vonn Bell. Considering he likely won't be in a position to log high tackle counts this season, Lattimore will need to be more of a ballhawk in order to achieve IDP relevance.