New Orleans Saints News

After a down year in 2024, New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. bounced back in a big way while playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025. Across 17 games, Etienne Jr. recorded 1,399 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns on 296 touches. His resurgence earned him a significant commitment from the Saints, who signed him to a four-year, $48 million contract in March. While legendary Saints running back Alvin Kamara currently remains on the team's roster, the organization's financial ties to Etienne Jr. signify a changing of the guard. Etienne Jr. offers a three-down skill set and should dominate touches and playing time in the Saints' backfield. The offense around him in New Orleans should also be an improved unit in the team's second year with Tyler Shough at quarterback and head coach Kellen Moore calling plays. As he enters his age-27 season, Etienne Jr. profiles as a reliable starting running back option for dynasty managers.

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson put together the most productive season of his career in 2025, recording 77 receptions for 889 yards and three touchdowns on 102 targets across 17 games. Johnson finished second on the team in targets, behind only star Saints wideout Chris Olave. However, New Orleans aggressively added pass-catchers over the offseason, which could put a ceiling on Johnson's upside in 2026 and beyond. In the 2026 NFL Draft, the Saints used a first-round pick on wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and added two more wide receivers in the middle rounds in Bryce Lance and Barion Brown. New Orleans also brought in direct competition at the tight end position for Johnson, using a third-round pick on Oscar Delp and signing veteran Noah Fant in free agency. While Johnson should still play a role in his team's offense, his fantasy production is reliant on target volume. Dynasty managers may want to consider selling Johnson now, while he's at the peak of his value.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (knee) doesn't appear to be planning to retire this offseason, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. "I'm excited to see what we can do together," Kamara said of new RB Travis Etienne Jr. Rumors surfaced earlier this offseason that Kamara was considering hanging up his cleats after a career-worst season in 2025 that ended early due to a knee injury. The 30-year-old veteran and five-time Pro Bowler played in only 11 games and finished with a career-low 471 rushing yards and only one touchdown while catching a career-low 33 passes for 186 yards on 39 targets. The Saints signed Etienne to a four-year, $52 million deal in free agency, signaling that Kamara's eight-year run as the organization's clear-cut RB1 is over. Etienne has a very similar three-down skill set and is nearly four years younger than Kamara, with a lot less wear on his tires. If Kamara remains with the Saints going into the 2026 regular season, his fantasy value is going to take a massive hit in a complementary role.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele entered this offseason as one of the biggest sleepers in dynasty fantasy football. In his final four games of 2025, Vele had caught 19 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 12.2 points per game in PPR leagues during that span, ranking as the overall WR21. It seemed like he might be a breakout candidate in 2026, but that trajectory came crashing down as the Saints added two receivers in the NFL Draft. Now, Vele is behind Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson on the depth chart, and he could also end up behind rookie Bryce Lance, who has the speed necessary to fill a Rashid Shaheed-esque role in New Orleans. It's a disappointing development for managers who acquired Vele at a low cost this offseason. With that said, he's still worth holding in deeper leagues, as he's proven that he can handle volume. This Saints' offense is quickly trending up, so he could still get onto the WR3/flex radar if Olave or Tyson were to miss any time.

New Orleans Saints running back Audric Estime was called into action late in the 2025 season, and he handled himself admirably, churning out top-13 fantasy finishes in Weeks 17 and 18, but after a busy Saints offseason, he's been pushed well down the depth chart toward fantasy irrelevancy. New Orleans signed Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year, $48 million deal, and with rumors of a potential Alvin Kamara trade growing quieter in recent weeks, the Saints' running back depth chart currently consists of Etienne, Kamara, Devin Neal, Kendre Miller, Ty Chandler, and Estime. While it's unlikely New Orleans carries more than four backs into the regular season, even if Estime does make the team, the traffic in front of him will make it nearly impossible to find any repeatable success. With only 508 career rushing yards and three touchdowns across his first two seasons with Denver and New Orleans, the 2024 fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame has fallen to RB106 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings and is an easy drop candidate for managers looking to free up roster space around their leagues' rookie drafts.

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller was a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but a frustrating rash of injuries has limited him to only 21 games played and 497 career rushing yards. The Saints spent big in free agency, bringing in former Jaguar Travis Etienne Jr. on a four-year, $48 million deal, and unless they make a move to thin their ranks, it appears that Miller will head into training camp fourth on the depth chart behind Etienne, 10-year veteran Alvin Kamara, and 2025 sixth-round pick Devin Neal, who handled lead back duties down the stretch of his rookie season. When active, Miller has played a role on special teams, which could be his best shot to stick with the team, but as RotoBaller's dynasty RB90, he is no longer a must-hold for managers looking to clear bench spots for the incoming crop of rookies.

The New Orleans Saints declined defensive end Tyree Wilson's fifth-year option on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis called this "a one-year trial, and we'll see how it goes." During last week's 2026 NFL draft, the Saints acquired the former first-round edge rusher from the Las Vegas Raiders. The 25-year-old pass-rusher will head to the Big Easy after recording 91 tackles (57 solo), 12 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, 24 QB hits, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 50 games (seven starts) over his first three years with the Raiders. In 17 games in 2025, Wilson, the former seventh overall pick in 2023 out of Texas Tech, had a career-high 35 tackles (25 solo), four sacks, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Had the Saints picked up Wilson's fifth-year option, it would have cost them $14.475 million in 2027. New Orleans is hoping their low-cost investment pays dividends with a change of scenery.

The New Orleans Saints have selected LSU wide receiver prospect Barion Brown with the No. 190 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Brown was a three-year contributor at Kentucky before transferring to LSU for his final collegiate season. Across 13 games in 2025, he caught 53 passes for 532 yards and one touchdown. He's not a major touchdown threat, but he can still be a dependable depth receiver for Tyler Shough in New Orleans' up-and-coming offense. This is the third receiver the Saints have drafted this year, following Jordyn Tyson and Bryce Lance. Although he's a talented player, Brown will be buried too low in the pecking order to justify pursuing him in fantasy leagues. He can be avoided in most fantasy drafts.

The New Orleans Saints have acquired edge rusher Tyree Wilson from the Las Vegas Raiders, according to announcements from both organizations. The full trade sends Wilson and pick No. 219 to the Saints, while the Raiders receive the 150th overall selection. The Saints have been active in trade talks for a defensive end in recent days, as previous reports linked them to the Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux. Instead of Thibodeaux, the Saints end up with a different former first-round pick. The No. 7 selection in 2023, Wilson has missed just one game through three NFL seasons. He has a modest seven starts to his name, racking up three forced fumbles and 8.5 sacks over the last two seasons. The Saints used the bulk of their draft picks in Rounds 1 through 4 on major offensive weapons, and now, they're bolstering their defense by adding a more experienced rusher. He should slot into an immediate starting role on a Saints defensive line that features fellow 2023 first-rounder Bryan Bresee.

The New Orleans Saints have selected North Dakota State wide receiver prospect Bryce Lance with the 136th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He's the younger brother of former NDSU quarterback Trey Lance, and he had a terrific performance at the Scouting Combine earlier this offseason. Lance has the speed necessary to excel downfield, using his legs to gain separation from defenders. He draws some comparisons to Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Rashid Shaheed, two former Saints who have demonstrated a tendency to break off explosive plays. Over his final two collegiate seasons, Lance had 126 catches, 2,150 yards, and 25 touchdowns. He could immediately slot in as the Saints' No. 3 receiver behind Chris Olave and first-rounder Jordyn Tyson. Lance has impressive dynasty upside, and there's the potential for him to deliver some breakout fantasy performances as early as his rookie season. Because of his big-play upside, the biggest concern with Lance from a fantasy perspective is that he could end up being a weekly boom-or-bust, making it tough for managers to decide when to start him.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave finished 2025 as the fantasy WR6, largely on the strength of a 27.3% team target share, and he came into the offseason as the undisputed top option in New Orleans. The addition of Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency will add a wrinkle to Kellen Moore's evolving offense, but having topped a 10% target share only once in his four professional seasons, he posed no major threat to Olave's week-winning volume. The same can not be said about some of the talent added through the first two nights of the NFL Draft. The Saints selected Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick and added Georgia tight end Oscar Delp in the third round. While durability concerns shaded Tyson's profile heading into the draft, many believe he has the most upside of any receiver in a deep 2026 class, and Delp is thought to have untapped potential as a pass catcher after being utilized predominantly inline by the Bulldogs. Since being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Olave has never faced significant target competition. Even while missing 13 games across his first four seasons, Olave's 111.5 targets per season radically outpaced the 53.5 per year average of the team's WR2 over that time. While the Saints have long involved their tight ends and running backs in the passing game, the offense they are building around Tyler Shough will provide answers at all levels of the field and make him less reliant on any one player. While Olave still has a claim as the most talented receiver on the team, the 9.4 targets per game that he earned, partly out of necessity, in 2025 could very well stand as a career-high.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough finds himself in a fantastic position ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Shough had already boosted his dynasty value significantly with an impressive rookie season last year. Installed as the starter mid-year, Shough ended up totaling 10 touchdowns from Week 12-18, and he ranked as the overall QB5 in fantasy football during that span. That type of production in an offense that didn't have very high expectations instantly vaulted Shough into the top-12 conversation for dynasty and 2026 redraft leagues. Now, he's trending up once again after the Saints spent a premium first-round pick on a wide receiver. New Orleans drafted Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson with the No. 8 overall pick, making him the second pass-catcher off the board. It was impressive to see the Saints get such an elite weapon for Shough without having to trade up. Tyson is coming off a terrific two-year stretch at ASU in which he caught 136 passes for 1,812 yards and 18 touchdowns. Shough has plenty of key weapons at his disposal in 2026 and potentially beyond. Tyson is under team control through 2030, and while Chris Olave is headed into a contract year, he remains a prime extension candidate. Additionally, tight end Juwan Johnson is under contract through 2027. Plus, we can't forget that the Saints gave a four-year deal to Travis Etienne Jr., who will make Shough's life easier both in the running and passing games. Much credit is due to the Saints for their offensive improvements this offseason. The solidification of their offense gives Shough a steady floor and tremendous upside in both redraft and dynasty formats.

The New Orleans Saints have selected Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Tyson was viewed as one of the top wide receiver prospects in this year's class. Tyson began his college career at Colorado before moving to Arizona State, where he spent his final three campaigns. In his first season with the Sun Devils, Tyson appeared in just three games and did not catch any passes. Over his final two seasons, Tyson would be limited to just 21 games but would make a massive impact, totaling 1,812 yards and 18 touchdowns on 136 catches. He totaled a career-best 10 touchdowns during the 2024 campaign. Tyson is credited with having elite footwork and high-end ability to catch off-target passes. Tyson will likely slide in as the No. 2 option in an up-and-coming New Orleans offense that is led by second-year QB Tyler Shough. For fantasy, Tyson could see his workload limited, sharing the field with Chris Olave and running back Travis Etienne Jr.

Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is making a late surge up the draft boards ahead of the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. According to aggregate mock draft data from NFLMockDraftDatabase.com, Tyson ranked as the #5 overall prospect back in January, but he fell as low as #15 earlier this month. However, he has climbed four spots over the last four days and now ranks #11 overall, including third among wide receiver prospects. Tyson was excellent in college, catching 136 passes for 1,812 yards and 18 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons (21 games). There are a lot of wide receiver-needy teams picking in the range of Tyson's mocked position, including the Titans, Giants, Browns, Commanders, Saints, Chiefs, and Dolphins. He's the consensus WR3 among rookies in fantasy football, and he ranks as the WR25 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty rankings.

The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese is expected to garner "significant trade interest" if he's still available at No. 4 or No. 5 overall in this year's 2026 NFL draft, which kicks off on Thursday night. The New Orleans Saints, who hold the No. 8 overall pick, are a team that might be interested in trading up within the top 10 picks of the first round for Reese. Rapoport also mentions the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that is also looking for an edge rusher and who have been rumored to be trying to trade up with the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 3 overall pick. Reese has the potential to be a game-changing edge rusher at the next level for any team that ends up taking him in the top 10 picks of this year's draft. He had seven sacks in his three-year collegiate career at Ohio State, and he totaled 34 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss in 14 games in his final season as a Buckeye in 2025.

Veteran New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (knee) had the least productive season of his career in 2025, recording just 657 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 164 touches across 11 games. The 30-year-old also finished the year on the sidelines after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 12. The Saints signed former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year, $52 million contract in free agency, seemingly bringing Kamara's time as the RB1 in New Orleans to a close. While Kamara has been an excellent receiving back throughout his career and could still provide some fantasy production in a third-down role, his dynasty value is obviously plummeting following the Saints' acquisition of Etienne Jr. If the Saints choose to further fortify the running back position in the upcoming NFL Draft, Kamara could find himself completely out of a roster spot in New Orleans. Dynasty managers may want to consider selling on Kamara now before his value drops even further.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was dominant after being installed as the starting quarterback last year, especially in the weeks following his team's bye. From Week 12-18, he had 10 total touchdowns and ranked as the overall QB5 in fantasy football. That type of production in an offense that didn't have very high expectations should instantly vault Shough into the top-12 conversation for the 2026 fantasy football season. Now, his value could soar even higher if the Saints add a receiver in the first few rounds of this week's NFL Draft. Most of Shough's production last year came from throwing to Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson. Both players showed major improvement in 2025, but adding another big name to this offense could be crucial for Shough's ascension into a weekly fantasy contributor. Many media outlets and mock drafts have linked the Saints to a Day 1 or Day 2 receiver. Such a selection would give a boost to Shough's value in dynasty leagues. Managers should look to buy low on Shough before the Saints improve his supporting cast via the draft.

New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal might be penciled into the third-string role for now, but he's a sneaky buy in dynasty leagues ahead of this week's NFL Draft. The Saints brought in Travis Etienne Jr. during free agency, blocking Neal from becoming the team's starting running back in 2026. However, there's still a path for him to fill the No. 2 role while maintaining fantasy relevance. As it stands, the Saints have a crowded backfield, making it unlikely that they'll spend a premium pick on a running back in this year's draft, which is sparse at the position. At the same time, Alvin Kamara's time in New Orleans seems to be coming to an end. We would not be surprised to see Kamara traded or released around the time of the draft, when key roster decisions are typically made. But even if he does stick around for another year, Kamara's role is declining. His 3.0 catches per game and 3.6 yards per carry last year both represented new career lows for the veteran. It would surprise nobody if Neal leapfrogged Kamara on the depth chart by the middle of the season, as the 22-year-old has intriguing upside as an impact running back. The Saints want to make Neal a long-term part of their backfield, so dynasty managers would be wise to buy low while he's still buried in the third spot on the depth chart.

Indiana quarterback prospect Fernando Mendoza is the consensus No. 1 pick in Thursday's NFL Draft, but there's a little less certainty about his first-round status in rookie fantasy football drafts. Given that rookie drafts (and non-superflex fantasy leagues as a whole) place less relative value on the quarterback position than NFL teams, other names are in the mix for managers to select ahead of Mendoza. For example, running back Jeremiyah Love is the projected No. 1 pick in rookie fantasy drafts, followed by a slew of receivers. Mendoza is the top quarterback in RotoBaller's rookie rankings, but he's all the way down at No. 9 overall. At that point, he's a pretty safe bet to be a first-rounder in rookie drafts, but he's not a lock. If non-quarterback-needy managers are picking near the end of the first round, they could opt for a different position and let Mendoza fall to the early second. He'd be a bargain there, offering managers a mix of rushing and passing upside. Outside of a little concern about the weapons around him in Vegas, Mendoza has a very encouraging fantasy outlook.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave re-emerged as a high-value PPR wide receiver in 2025, recording 100 receptions for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns on 156 targets across 16 games. After a lost season in which injuries forced him to miss nine games in 2024, Olave was able to re-establish himself as the clear number one target in New Orleans. He also got some much-needed help in the quarterback department in the second half of the year after Tyler Shough took over as the Saints' QB1. Olave's worrying track record of concussion issues remains a red flag for his long-term dynasty outlook. However, he's proven to be an effective high-volume target earner as long as he's on the field. Particularly with the improved offensive environment around him, Olave's value is trending up heading into 2026.