RADIO
Chris Olave a Must-Start WR1 Option in Favorable Week 1 Matchup
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave put together the most productive season of his career in 2026, recording 100 catches for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns on 156 targets across 16 games. The 26-year-old's numbers really took off in the second half of the season after Tyler Shough took over as the Saints' starting quarterback. Entering 2026, Olave will have a full season playing alongside Shough and should dominate target share in New Orleans, with Saints rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) opening the year on Injured Reserve. In Week 1, Olave and the Saints will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. Detroit's pass defense fell apart down the stretch of the 2025 season, allowing more than 250 passing yards in four out of its final seven games. The Lions' secondary still has major questions in 2026, as the team will be without both starting safeties in Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee) to begin the year. All in all, Olave profiles as a high-end WR1 option for fantasy managers in Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Devaughn Vele Could Grab the No. 2 Job Early
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele has a real early-season opening with rookie Jordyn Tyson on injured reserve. Vele is listed with the first-team offense, and there is at least some evidence he can make use of the extra work. After Rashid Shaheed was traded last season, Vele caught 20 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown on 29 targets over his final five games before a shoulder injury ended his year. That stretch matters more than the full-season line of 25 catches for 293 yards. Chris Olave is still the clear top receiver, while Barion Brown and Juwan Johnson will compete for targets too, so calling Vele the automatic No. 2 option would go too far. The opportunity is there, though. Tyson must miss at least four games, and Vele already showed late last season that his production can climb when the Saints give him more to do. He has a chance to turn this early window into a much steadier fantasy role.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Barion Brown Could Operate as a Starter After Strong Camp
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Barion Brown could get into the starting lineup for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. Brown had a strong camp, and he's in the mix for the No. 3 receiver role (and a starting job) after the Saints placed rookie Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) on injured reserve. As it stands, Brown projects as the third receiver behind Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele, although he's also likely behind Juwan Johnson in the pecking order. Nevertheless, the rookie out of LSU caught four passes for 53 yards during the preseason, and he proved that he deserves more opportunities than fellow rookie Bryce Lance. Whether or not Brown's No. 3 receiver role is enough to get him on the fantasy radar remains to be seen, but he is definitely trending up as the Saints look to distribute Tyson's temporarily vacated targets. He's an intriguing player to stash for the first few weeks in 14+ team leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordyn Tyson is a Late-Round Stash Option
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) won't be ready for the season opener against the Detroit Lions. The Saints were forced to place Tyson on the Injured Reserve due to a hamstring injury. The Saints expect the rookie wideout to miss roughly two months of action. Once he's cleared to play, Tyson figures to be a focal point in the Saints' passing game. The fact that Tyson won't be ready for at least the first four games of the season is obviously dropping his draft stock. Although fantasy managers should strongly consider snagging Tyson in the later rounds if he's available. He's a high-upside prospect who could be a difference maker for fantasy managers in a few months.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Barion Brown Keeps Climbing After Strong Summer
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Barion Brown came into camp with special teams doing most of the heavy lifting for his roster case. That changed pretty quickly. Kellen Moore praised the sixth-round rookie after a standout practice in early August, and Brown kept showing up in New Orleans' camp coverage over the next several days. He carried some of that into the preseason, catching four passes for 53 yards against Jacksonville before scoring on a jet sweep in the finale against Dallas. Jordyn Tyson's hamstring injury has opened the door even wider. Tyson will miss at least four games on injured reserve, and the Saints kept only four receivers on their initial 53-man roster. Their current unofficial depth chart now has Brown with the first team at one receiver spot, along with both return jobs. RotoBaller still has him way down at WR129 in half-PPR formats, so this remains a deep-league play. Brown just looks a lot more likely to see offensive snaps than he did when camp opened.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordyn Tyson's Redraft Value Fading Amidst Injury Concerns
After being selected eighth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) was initially expected to play a significant role in his team's offense as a rookie. However, the 22-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during training camp that will cause him to start the year on Injured Reserve and could be serious enough to keep him out longer than the mandatory four games. Tyson's hamstring issue is made a bit more concerning by the fact that he also suffered two separate hamstring injuries that caused him to miss time during his final collegiate season at Arizona State. Even when he is eventually cleared to return, it could take Tyson a while to be fully integrated into the New Orleans offense. The young wideout remains a high-upside prospect in dynasty formats, but his redraft value is highly questionable ahead of 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Devaughn Vele Enters 2026 with a Clear Path to Early-Season Targets
Across 13 games (seven starts) in 2025, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele recorded 25 catches for 293 yards and two touchdowns on 39 targets. The 28-year-old got off to a slow start to his first season in New Orleans, recording just five catches across his first eight games with the team. However, Vele got hot in his final five games played before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, recording 20 catches for 254 yards and a touchdown on 29 targets. Vele's increased usage came after the Saints traded away then-WR2 Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline. Entering 2026, Vele could be in a similar situation early in the season. Projected Saints WR2 Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) will begin the year on Injured Reserve due to a hamstring injury, leaving a void in the team's wide receiver room behind star wideout Chris Olave. As a late-round sleeper, Vele is a worthy target for fantasy managers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chris Olave Has a Clear Path to Massive Early-Season Target Share
After an injury-marred 2024 campaign, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave re-emerged as a high-end pass-catcher in 2025. Across 16 games, the 26-year-old recorded 100 catches for 1,163 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 156 targets. Olave finished the season on an absolute tear while playing alongside then-rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, recording 24 catches for 352 yards and four touchdowns across his final three games played. Entering 2026, Olave and Shough look well-positioned to continue building on the chemistry they formed at the end of last season. With Saints rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) starting the year on Injured Reserve, Olave also appears poised to dominate target share in New Orleans, at least early on. Particularly in PPR-scoring formats, Olave carries top-12 fantasy wide receiver upside into 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cedric Tillman Joins the Saints
According to the New Orleans Saints official site, wide receiver Cedric Tillman has signed with the team's practice squad on Tuesday. Tillman was waived by the Cleveland Browns last Thursday, but he quickly found a new home. Tillman is a former third-round pick of the Browns from the 2023 draft. He didn't exactly impress during his first three seasons in the league. He hasn't surpassed 30 receptions or 400 receiving yards in a single season since becoming a pro. He'll serve as depth for the Saints, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to bring much to the table.
Source: neworleanssaints.com
Source: neworleanssaints.com
Healthy Season Could Cement Chris Olave's Place
While the discovery of a blood clot in his lung kept New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave out of the final game of the year and prevented him from completing his first 17-game season, his health and availability were major storylines of what would become a career year and a WR6 finish. While his frightening history of concussions hasn't suddenly gone away, seeing Olave at his peak for a full season has made him an easier click in the early rounds of 2026 drafts, particularly after the way he finished the year with rookie Tyler Shough under center. Shough took over as starter in Week 9, and after a week of adjustment, Olave was the WR2 on a points per game basis from Week 10 through the end of the year, trailing only Puka Nacua. With first-round pick Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) slated to miss at least the first four games of his rookie season after starting the year on injured reserve, Olave could again be hyper-targeted in one of the league's most high-volume, up-tempo offenses, making him a potential week-winner to begin the season. At RotoBaller's WR11, there is still considerable injury concern baked into his profile, but for the risk-tolerant, he is capable of providing WR1 upside while often found closer to a WR2 cost.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordyn Tyson Officially Placed on Injured Reserve
The New Orleans Saints have officially placed wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) on injured reserve, according to Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune. This move was merely procedural, as we already knew that Tyson would miss approximately two weeks due to a hamstring injury he suffered during training camp. It's been an injury-riddled couple of years for Tyson, who has now endured three different hamstring strains since the start of 2025. By landing on IR, the first-round pick will now be sidelined for at least four games. The earliest he could possibly return to action would be the Saints' Week 5 contest against the Minnesota Vikings on October 11, but we wouldn't be surprised if he needs a little more time beyond that date. With Tyson sidelined, Devaughn Vele is expected to step up as the Saints' No. 2 receiver alongside Chris Olave.
Source: Matthew Paras
Source: Matthew Paras
Devaughn Vele Climbing Up the Depth Chart with Teammate Sidelined
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele is quickly climbing up the depth chart ahead of the 2026 season. With Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) expected to miss significant time, Vele projects to be the Saints' No. 2 receiver for the regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 13. Not only does the depth chart itself look favorably upon the 28-year-old receiver, but so does the coaching staff. Before Tyson got hurt, head coach Kellen Moore said that he regretted not making Vele a bigger part of the offense throughout the first half of last season. He made the most of his opportunities following the Saints' bye week, though, catching 19 of 26 targets for 239 yards and one touchdown across four games before getting hurt. During that four-game span from Week 12-15, Vele ranked as the overall WR23 in PPR leagues. Assuming he takes on a similar role and can maintain a similar rapport with quarterback Tyler Shough, Vele has high-end WR3/flex appeal early in the 2026 season, especially while Tyson is inactive. With an ADP of 231.2, the 6-foot-5 receiver is going undrafted in most fantasy leagues. Managers should consider spending their final draft pick on him, because he could be a legitimate fantasy starter for the first month or so this season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordyn Tyson's Durability Concerns Holding Down His Value Entering 2026
The eighth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) is expected to be a key piece in his team's plans for its offense. However, Tyson's NFL debut will be delayed by a serious hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline him well into his rookie season and could lead to him opening the year on Injured Reserve with a return designation. The 22-year-old is a highly talented playmaker when healthy, as he recorded over 1,800 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns across his final 21 collegiate games at Arizona State. However, Tyson also now has a lengthy injury history. He missed most of his sophomore season in college with a knee injury, broke his collarbone late in his junior year, and suffered multiple Grade 2 hamstring strains during his final collegiate season in 2025. At this point, fantasy managers have to take his lack of durability into account when evaluating his value, even in redraft formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chris Olave Returns to Practice on Wednesday
After an injury scare on Tuesday, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (upper body) returned to training camp practice on Wednesday, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN. Olave got the wind knocked out of him when he landed hard on his back during practice on Tuesday, and he sat out the rest of practice. It was a brief scare for the team's best pass-catcher, but the 26-year-old is now completely fine and will be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season in early September. Second-year quarterback Tyler Shough will continue to lean on Olave, with rookie first-rounder Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) set to miss the beginning of the season. Olave, a former 11th overall pick from Ohio State, was rewarded with a four-year, $132 million contract extension last month after setting career highs in catches (100), targets (156), receiving yards (1,163), and touchdowns (nine) in 2025 in his fourth year in the league. With enough volume in head coach Kellen Moore's up-tempo offense, Olave should continue to have a high floor in 2026, making him at least worthy of low-end WR1 status in fantasy football drafts. He is ranked as RotoBaller's WR10 in half-PPR scoring.
Source: ESPN.com - Katherine Terrell
Source: ESPN.com - Katherine Terrell
Chris Olave Appears Fine After Late-Practice Injury Scare
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave gave the team a scare near the end of Tuesday's practice, but head coach Kellen Moore believes he's "all good." Katherine Terrell reported that Olave was slow to get up after attempting to catch a deep pass, then walked down the sideline under his own power with athletic trainers before leaving the session. Practice ended only a few plays later. Moore's update afterward takes much of the concern out of the initial scene. Olave is coming off the best season of his career, catching 100 passes for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games. Based on Moore's immediate assessment, Tuesday's exit appears to have been a minor scare rather than something that should significantly alter Olave's fantasy outlook.
Source: Katherine Terrell
Source: Katherine Terrell
