Saints offense no clunker, but the ride far from perfect

Any time we buy a nice, shiny new car there's always a sense of accomplishment.

A sense of pride.

And if you're really lucky and can afford a top-of-the-line BMW, Lexus or Mercedes, you exude a certain inner glow as friends and family see it for the first time.

"What a sweet ride," they say in awe.

For the most part, these vehicles will perform at a high level for years. But on occasion, you do end up with a lemon - the car looks sweet on the outside, but is in the shop every few months for annoying problems. An oil leak here, an engine problem there.

There's no consistency.

That's the way I'm feeling now about the New Orleans Saints, a team with a shiny, glowing exterior that's averaging a whopping 36.8 points per game but whose parts give fantasy owners spits and spurts of productivity nearly every week.

It's downright mind-boggling.

Let's take a closer look under the hood to see what the Saints have become and what might be coming for each player.

• QB Drew Brees (19 TDs, 9 INTs, five 300-yard games). OK, these are decent numbers, but Brees is only fourth among QBs in fantasy points, and he hasn't thrown more than 2 TD passes since Week 6. Worse yet, if you take out his 6-TD game in the opener, Brees is ranked EIGHTH since then, with Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre among those ahead of him. Prognosis: Brees is leaking a little oil right now, but he figures to finish strong.

• WR Marques Colston (39-613-6). Three catches. For 62 yards. And a lost fumble. That's what Colston has given his fantasy owners the past two weeks. Prognosis: He's certainly blown a gasket, but he should finish in the top 10 among receivers before the season is over. (He's 14th right now).

• RB Pierre Thomas (593 yards from scrimmage, 6 TDs). Here is the model for the Saints' inconsistency. Thomas (16th among RBs) goes from 30 yards in Week 7, to 91 and 2 TDs in Week 8, to 50 and a TD in Week 9, to 37 yards last week. Pulling your hair out yet? Prognosis: Should hum right along this week in Tampa Bay, but after that keep an eye on that head gasket.

• RB Reggie Bush (484 yards from scrimmage, 6 TDs). How do you start a guy who averages 7 touches a game? Most of you can't - and won't - yet Bush (26th among RBs) has scored a touchdown in four of the last five games. Prognosis: The "engine warning light" is on. You can keep driving Bush, but eventually he's going to leave you stranded on the side of the road.

• RB Mike Bell (439 rushing yards, 2 TDs). I keep waiting for Bell (No. 39 among RBs) to put up some big numbers, but he hasn't scored since Week 6, and he carried the ball a combined 13 times the last two weeks. Prognosis: Flat tires all around. Leave him be for now.

• WRs Robert Meacham (14-323-4) and Devery Henderson (30-523-1). These two are like a pair of Lamborghinis that look great when you see them, but we don't see enough of them. Meacham (No. 33 among WRs) has 3 TDs the last five games, but just 10 catches in that span. Henderson (35th) has been impressive lately with games of 71, 46, 93 and 72 yards, but he hasn't scored since Week 1. Prognosis: Henderson has become someone you can count on to give you decent third WR stats. Meacham is just too risky - he's like that old 80s Trans Am that still growls but isn't all that reliable.

• TE Jeremy Shockey (37-444-3). Since his 2-TD opener, Shockey has given his owners five real stinkers and three decent games. He ranks ninth among TEs, but that's mostly thanks to his Week 1 performance. Prognosis: He's like a 1998 Chevy Cavalier at this point - somewhat reliable, but nothing that you look twice at.

So how crazy is that? A team that averages 37 points a game and we can barely find any reliable parts. The problem (from a fantasy standpoint) is that the Saints have too many weapons, and coach Sean Payton uses all of them wisely.

Makes you long for the days of Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce when you knew what to expect out of high-octane offenses.

My teams: Well, my DH experts team has lost three of four and has fallen into a first-place tie at 7-3 in the division. Big game this week with the other division leader. My regular-league team (5-5) continues to light it up as seven out of nine slots scored in double digits in a 119-78 win. Of course, I also lost BOTH Michael Turner and Ronnie Brown, so my depth will be tested. In the unit league, I won 64-48 to move to 3-7.

Good bets

• Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin at the Bears. Forget about that inspired play by Lovie Smith's defense against the Niners. Sure it looked nice, but let's remember how bad San Fran's offense is. Donovan McNabb is coming to town this week, folks, and he is coming off a 450-yard game at San Diego. Everybody involved in Philly's passing game is a good play, and that definitely includes the rookie Maclin.

• Giants QB Eli Manning vs. Atlanta. No Michael Turner means the Falcons are going to have a tough time controlling the ball, giving Manning and Co. plenty of chances. Also, Atlanta has allowed 10 passing TDs the last five games, and that includes contests against Washington and Carolina.

Bad bets

• Falcons RB Jason Snelling at New York Giants. Everybody's hot and heavy to pick up and play Snelling, but I sense a trap. My guess is Atlanta falls flat on its face, and Snelling ends up with a rather disappointing stat line.

• Rams WR Donnie Avery vs. Arizona. No way does Cardinals CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie allow Avery (2 TDs last week) to get free.

• See more Good and Bad bets at fantasyfootball.dailyherald.com.