X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Breakouts, Busts, and Locks - New Orleans Saints 2022 Outlook

Chris Olave - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Justin's fantasy football sleepers, breakouts, busts, or safe picks on the Saints. His 2022 fantasy football offensive preview for the New Orleans Saints.

Welcome to our fantasy football Breakouts, Busts, and Locks, a series on RotoBaller where our writers look at three key players on each NFL team. Today, we're talking about the New Orleans Saints.

With a new head coach for the first time in years and with a (presumably) healthy Jameis Winston under center, what can the Saints do this season?

Below, you'll find a fantasy football breakout candidate, a fantasy football bust candidate, and a safe fantasy football pick for the Saints based on current ADP for fantasy football drafts in 2022.

Editor's Note: Steer clear of costly draft mistakes with RotoBaller’s expert Fantasy Football Bust analysis. We break down overvalued players, potential letdowns, and risky ADPs to avoid, so you can build a smarter, safer roster.

 

Fantasy Football Breakout: Chris Olave

There are two paths for how Olave's season can go. There's the "Michael Thomas is healthy" way, which would feature Olave as the No. 2/3 receiver on this offense.

And there's the "Michael Thomas isn't healthy" way, which would feature Olave as the No. 1/2 receiver on this offense. No matter which path we take, Olave is someone who'll turn some heads this season with his fantasy production.

Olave spent his final three seasons at Ohio State being productive. Last season, he caught a career-high 65 passes for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Buckeyes while competing for touches with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson for snaps. That he finished third of that group in yards shouldn't be seen as a knock on Olave, as those other two players are really good.

Olave is a dynamic receiver who'll line up on the outside most of the time, with Jarvis Landry in the slot. There's potentially a lot of targets that will go to Thomas and Landry, but if the Saints tailor their offense to Jameis Winston's arm, there should still be plenty of targets to go around for Olave.

Of course, the real reason to draft him is because of the Thomas uncertainty. You'll read later on why I keep drafting Thomas at his ADP and think that he's a great fantasy pick, but the last two years for MT have been strange—strange enough that I'm baking in more injury concern than I usually would when thinking about this Saints team.

And if the scenario we get to is that we have Olave serving as the main outside weapon for a quarterback with an arm as big as Winston's, then look out.

In fact, we might not even need Thomas to be out for Olave to get some big deep balls thrown his way. Thomas loves to run slants and while I always assumed that a big part of that was Drew Brees being older and having limited arm strength, there's no guarantee that was it.

Maybe Thomas and Landry will thrive in the short and intermediate game and Olave will use his ability to create separation to be the team's primary deep threat.

So, keep a close eye on Chris Olave.

 

Fantasy Football Bust: Mark Ingram II

The potential for an Alvin Kamara suspension remains, which would boost Mark Ingram's fantasy value, but as is, I don't see a ton of non-suspension paths for Ingram when it comes to fantasy value.

And even if Kamara is suspended, I think the ceiling is low on Ingram. Ingram is a 32-year-old running back with 1,755 career carries, plus 287 career receptions. That's a lot of wear on him.

Last season, he split time between Houston and New Orleans. In his seven games with the Saints, he averaged 37.1 rushing yards per game and found the end zone once.

I'm just not sure that Ingram still has it in him to be the thunder to Kamara's lightning, or to be THE guy if Kamara misses time.

Add in that New Orleans has a solid group of veterans behind him who can step in and give you production in a pinch like Dwayne Washington and Malcolm Brown plus an Ingram-esque UDFA in Abram Smith and I just think you're going to end up disappointed if you draft Ingram at his ADP.

 

Fantasy Football Lock: Michael Thomas

Michael Thomas hasn't played a full season since 2019, but the last time he did play a full year, he led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards, catching 149 passes for 1,725 yards.

While the fact that Thomas played just seven games in 2020 and then missed all of 2021 definitely introduces a lot of uncertainty into the equation, I think at his current ADP, Thomas is a lock—assuming, of course, that he's healthy.

Thomas is currently being taken on average as the WR33 across the major fantasy platforms. That currently puts him behind Hunter Renfrow, DeAndre Hopkins (who has a six-game suspension) and Gabriel Davis. Simply put, a healthy Thomas outscores those guys.

And while this might not be the lockiest lock because of health concerns, it is a lock when it comes to me seeing Thomas on the board in the sixth or seventh round when I need a receiver and then drafting him. That's the kind of risk I'll gladly take every time.

Thomas is just such a reliable target when he's on the field. This is a guy who caught 92 passes as a rookie. Who has exactly nine touchdowns in three of his four full seasons. Who averaged 107.8 receiving yards per game the last time he played a full season.

Michael Thomas has a proven track record of success. The injury concerns cloud that, but can we really fade a guy whose two most recent full seasons saw him finish with a catch rate over 80%? The risk here is clear. My advice: don't ignore it, but if Thomas is on the board still at his ADP, take the plunge.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Kyren Williams

Rams Not Willing to Pay Kyren Williams Top-Market Money?
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Christian Kirk

the No. 2 WR in Houston?
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Jerome Ford

the Likely Starter for Cleveland to Begin 2025
Chig Okonkwo

"Poised" for Best Season of Career
Xavier Watts

Falcons High on Xavier Watts
Xavier Restrepo

Training With Star Wideouts
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF