Fantasy Football Player Notes

Chris Olave finally delivered the WR1 fantasy season managers had been waiting for, finishing as a top-10 WR after commanding elite volume in Kellen Moore's fast-paced offense. The Saints wideout took his game to another level late in the year once Tyler Shough settled in at quarterback, finishing the fantasy playoffs as one of the highest-scoring receivers in football. Olave's target dominance and downfield role give him a very strong weekly floor, although the addition of rookie Jordyn Tyson could slightly cap his ceiling moving forward. Even if some touchdown regression hits, Olave remains a reliable WR1/WR2 option attached to one of the NFL's more aggressive passing attacks.

Travis Etienne excelled last year as the Jags RB1 with an RB13 finish in fantasy points per game. After a down 2024 season, it was nice to see the new Saints' lead back bounce back. He lands with New Orleans after a season where he was 11th in snap share, 13th in opportunity share, tenth in weighted opportunities, and fifth in red zone touches. Etienne soaked up 296 touches, producing 1,399 total yards. He's set to see a similar workload in 2026 with the Saints. Etienne was disappointing on a per-touch basis, ranking 37th in explosive run rate, 31st in missed tackle rate, and 34th in yards after contact per attempt. Those metrics are worrisome, but Etienne should see enough volume that it won't matter this season. He's a solid RB2 that could outkick that projection if the Saints' offense takes a leap forward and surprises this year.

The Saints drafted Jordyn Tyson 8th overall, adding a high-upside weapon for their second-year QB in Kellen Moore's fast-paced offense. The former Arizona State standout broke out at 18 and commanded a 35% target share in 2025, showcasing elite target-earning ability when healthy. Durability concerns linger after multiple injuries, but his prospect profile checks nearly every box of a future WR1. With New Orleans capable of supporting multiple fantasy-relevant wideouts, Tyson has a clear path to operate as a No. 2 if not 1B alongside Chris Olave.

Second-round draft pick Tyler Shough was a pleasant surprise for New Orleans as a rookie. He now enters the 2026 season as the Saints' undisputed starter, with an opportunity to prove that he can be the team's long-term answer at quarterback. Spencer Rattler started the Saints' first eight games in 2025, but Shough took over as the starter in Week 9 and guided the team to a 5-4 record down the stretch. Shough was QB12 in fantasy points per game from Week 9 through the end of the regular season, and he produced at least 17.1 fantasy points in each of his last six starts. The 26-year-old Shough completed 67.6% of his throws, averaged 7.3 yards per pass attempt, and had 10 TD passes and six interceptions. He also averaged 16.9 rushing yards per game and had three TD runs. It should be noted that only one of the teams Shough faced in his nine starts last season, the Rams, ranked inside the top 10 in DVOA against the pass. Still, it was an impressive half-season for Shough, and the Saints should have an easy schedule again in 2026. The Saints feathered Shough's nest in this year's NFL Draft by drafting WR Jordyn Tyson No. 8 overall. With Tyson and veteran Chris Olave, Shough has more than adequate pass-catching weaponry.

Juwan Johnson finished 5th in catches (77) and third in yards (889) among TEs in 2025, but he only scored three TDs (TE15 in PPG). It wasn't always pretty (tied for league-high 7 drops per PFF), but the WR-TE convert made the most of his sheer volume. The Saints already paid him a decent chunk of change, and there's currently little competition in the receiver room outside of Chris Olave and former 7th-round pick DeVaughn Vele. Johnson was the TE9 in PPG after the team traded Rashid Shaheed (9.1) before the deadline (with Tyler Shough making all but one of those starts). With Shough from Week 10 onward, Johnson averaged over 61 receiving yards per game. However, they did also add Noah Fant in free agency, and they drafted WR Jordyn Tyson and TE Oscar Delp in the first two rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Brutal stretch to start the year (toughest for the first two weeks).

Charlie Smyth played only six games for the Saints last season, but he averaged 10.0 fantasy points per game, tying for fifth in that category among kickers. A native of Northern Ireland, Smith made 12-of-16 field goals and 13-of-13 extra points. If Smith can hold down the Saints' kicking job in 2026, he'll get to play home games in a dome, and he'll be tied to an offense that appears to be on the rise under second-year head coach Kellen Moore.