2026 Team Outlook: New Orleans Saints

TE Oscar Delp, NO - Not Draft Worthy

Over his final three seasons at Georgia, Delp had a minimal receiving role for the Bulldogs, with about the same outcome each year (24/284/3, 21/248/4, 20/261/1). He had more than two catches eight times over his 55 career games in college. His pass-catching ceiling should be higher than his results on the field in Georgia. Delp runs with rhythm and short area quick while offering a second gear to win at the second level of defense. His hands grade well, along with a solid foundation in his blocking skills for the NFL. He does need to get stronger to survive the rigors of the trenches at the line of scrimmage. Delp has a limited catch range, and his ability to win in tight quarters is in question. Fantasy Outlook: The Saints will give him minimal chances in his rookie campaign, but there will be times when plays will be scripted for him to take advantage of his potential mismatch value. Delp will be undrafted in most fantasy formats in 2026.

PK Charlie Smyth, NO - Not Draft Worthy

New Orleans handed Smyth their kicking job in Week 13 last year. He had success from 50 yards or more (4-for-6) while making all 13 of his extra points. His made field goal percentage (75%) wasn’t high enough to command 17 starts for the Saints this year. Smyth is a former soccer player from Ireland who signed a three-year contract last year.

Fantasy Outlook: The Saints scored 31 touchdowns last year, along with creating 30 field goal attempts. Smyth has a short professional resume, making him a waiver wire follow in 2026.

13. WR Chris Olave, NO - Stud (low risk)

Olave wrapped up his rookie campaign with 72 receptions for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns on 119 targets, but his 60.5% catch rate fell short of his college career. Injuries (a concussion and a hamstring issue) cost him two games. He topped 100 receiving yards three times (9/147, 7/106, and 5/102/1), and notably, every one of his touchdowns came in home games. He finished the season ranked 18th among fantasy receivers in PPR scoring (200.20 points). In 2023, Olave played in 16 games, missing only Week 15 due to an ankle injury, and improved across the board from his rookie year (87 catches, 1,123 receiving yards, five touchdowns, and 138 targets), Year WRC SPT WYD YD% YC TGT TD 2025 224 0.564 2489 0.62 11.11 344 15 2024 135 0.397 1833 0.49 13.58 238 12 2023 200 0.493 2666 0.63 13.33 320 16 New Orleans Saints

which pushed him up to 17th at the position in fantasy points (231.30). His catch rate ticked up slightly to 63.0%, but his average depth of target shrank, as reflected in his 12.9 yards per catch. He opened the year strong with three productive games (8/112, 6/86, and 8/104), each featuring double-digit targets (10, 11, and 11). Things cooled off when Derek Carr struggled to connect with him in Week 4 (1/4) and Week 5 (2/12/1). Over the next seven weeks, Olave settled into a groove, totaling 43 catches for 572 yards and two scores on 68 targets, anchored by a strong three-game run (6/94/1, 7/114, and 5/119). A late-season ankle injury then limited him to three quiet outings (4/28/1, 3/26, and 3/56/1) before breaking out of that slump with a strong Week 16 (9/123 on 13 targets). 2024 was a tough one for fantasy managers banking on Olave. He hit expectations in four games (4/81, 6/86/1, 8/87, and 8/107), but injuries forced two early exits (1/5 and 1/13), while being held nearly silent in Week 1 (2/11) and Week 5 (2/10). A pair of concussions ultimately cost him nine games on the year. Olave came into 2025 with an injury risk profile and questionable talent at the quarterback position. He shook those concerns by missing only Week 18 with an illness. The Saints looked his way 155 times, resulting in career highs in catches (100), receiving yards (1,163), and touchdowns (9). His success led him to climb to sixth in PPR scoring (269.30) while posting difference-maker games from Week 15 to Week 17 (6/85/1, 10/148/2, and 8/119/1). Olave opened the year with at least 10.00 fantasy points in 11 of his first 12 starts, giving him an excellent consistency factor. His other two winning outcomes came in Week 7 (5/98/2) and Week 10 (5/104/1). Fantasy Outlook: Olave ranks ninth at wide receiver in the early draft season in the NFFC, with a second-round ADP (22). His career NFL

body of work represents a 90-catch wideout with a floor of 1,100 yards and more scoring upside than expected coming into last year. In one year, the fantasy market moved Olave from the fade column to a targeted player.

13. TE Juwan Johnson, NO - Sleeper (undervalued)

Over his first two NFL seasons, Johnson managed just 17 career catches for 198 yards and four touchdowns on 31 targets. He arrived in New Orleans from Oregon with a classic big-bodied receiver build at 6'4" and 230 pounds, but his college numbers were modest as well (111 Year TRC SPT TYD YD% YC TGT TD 2025 104 0.262 1109 0.28 10.66 142 4 2024 108 0.318 1169 0.31 10.82 144 7 2023 97 0.239 891 0.21 9.19 130 10 New Orleans Saints

catches for 1,590 yards and six touchdowns on 179 targets) across four seasons. His breakout came in 2022, when the Saints gave him eight starts, and Johnson responded with career-best numbers: 42 catches, 508 yards, and seven touchdowns on 65 targets. Over a seven-game stretch from Week 7 through Week 15, he delivered fantasy value in five of those outings (5/32/2, 2/42/1, 5/44/1, 3/47/1, and 4/67/2). An ankle injury cut his Week 12 short after just six snaps, costing him the following game as well. For the season, Johnson played 64.6% of New Orleans' offensive snaps. A calf injury cost him four games in 2023, and his production cratered to start the year (20 catches for 152 yards and one touchdown on 35 targets through his first nine games). Johnson picked things back up late, producing from Week 15 through Week 17 (2/38/1, 4/48/1, and 8/90/1). New Orleans split tight end work four ways, with Johnson (52.7%), Foster Moreau (52.1%), Taysom Hill (40.3%), and Jimmy Graham (16.2%), all seeing time. Foot surgery in mid-June of 2024 wiped out most of his offseason, and Johnson opened that year in a reduced, backup role over the first three games (2/26/1, 0/0, and 0/0). He didn't become fantasy-relevant again until Week 11 (3/30/1), after which he caught fire down the stretch, totaling 25 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown on 34 targets over his final six starts, with three standout performances along the way (4/50/1, 6/66, and 6/80). Johnson comes off his best season in catches (77), receiving yards (889), and targets (103). He scored over 10.00 fantasy points in 10 of his 17 starts, leading to him ranking eighth in PPR scoring (181.90). New Orleans had Johnson on the field for 77.6% of their plays. Fantasy Outlook: Despite his increased opportunity and success, Johnson is the 19th-ranked tight end in the early draft season in the

National Fantasy Football Championship. A smaller rotation at the tight end position should be a win for Johnson in 2026, and New Orleans features them in their passing game. With 65 catches for 700 yards and five scores, he would still pay his fantasy bills in 2026.

21. RB Travis Etienne, NO - Solid/Safe Pick

Through the first five weeks of 2022, James Robinson actually out- snapped Etienne, 175 to 159, and found the end zone five times during that stretch while Etienne went scoreless until his seventh game. Etienne then strung together three strong outings from Week 7 to Week 68 0.171 429 0.11 6.31 77 0 New Orleans Saints

9 (14/114/1, 24/156/1, and 28/109/2), but his receiving work was minimal over that span — just six catches for 51 yards combined. After a brief, ineffective Week 12 (two yards on three carries across five snaps), Jacksonville scaled back his role significantly, feeding him just 16.75 touches per game over his final eight outings (postseason included), which produced 712 combined yards, two touchdowns, and 17 receptions. Etienne still finished the year 17th among running backs in PPR scoring (208.10 points), but he wasn't much of a factor when the season mattered most. The Jaguars handed him a much bigger workload in 2023 (325 total touches, resulting in 1,484 combined yards, 12 touchdowns, and 58 catches), good for the third-most fantasy points among running backs that year. The catch: his efficiency dropped to just 3.8 yards per carry, a full 1.3 yards lower than the year before. He topped 100 rushing yards in only two games (26/136/2 and 16/102/2) and was held under 60 yards on the ground in 12 separate contests, despite playing 73.4% of Jacksonville's offensive snaps. 2024 offered even less explosiveness, with his yards per carry (3.7) and yards per catch (6.5) both showing further erosion. Etienne opened the year with 57 touches over the first four games, good for 264 combined yards, two scores, and 10 receptions (12.05 fantasy points per game). After a modest Week 6 (60 yards, six catches), a hamstring injury forced him out and sidelined him for two more weeks. From that point forward, Etienne never found the end zone again, going scoreless over his final 13 games, and his final nine games in particular were brutal, totaling just 94 carries for 328 yards and 23 catches for 163 yards. Etienne proved to be a great value at running back in 2025, leading to him finishing 10th in PPR scoring (253.90). The Jaguars gave him 296 touches, highlighted by a career-high in touchdowns (13) with 1,399

combined yards and 36 catches. His best four fantasy days (20.60, 21.60, 31.50, and 22.60) came over his last eight starts. Etienne rushed for over 100 yards in only two matchups (16/143 and 19/124/1). Jacksonville gave him 20 touches or more in only four games. Fantasy Outlook: New Orleans signed Etienne to a four-year deal in March for $52 million. The Saints will rotate him with Alvin Kamara, suggesting a split opportunity in the passing game with an edge in carries. Etienne ranks 15th at running back in mid-June with an early fourth-round ADP (39) in the National Fantasy Football Championship. I see a pullback in touches, resulting in about 1,200 combined yards, eight touchdowns, and 25 catches. I view him as overpriced.

26. QB Tyler Shough, NO - Sleeper (undervalued)

Shough hits one of my recurring concerns with quarterback prospects: his age. He turned 26 on September 28 last season, which makes him a risky long-term investment for an NFL team hoping to develop a franchise quarterback. His college timeline reflects that. He was redshirted in 2018 without appearing in a game, played two seasons at Oregon, totaling 12 games, then battled a string of injuries at Texas Tech over the following three years, including a broken collarbone, a shoulder injury, and a broken leg. Everything came together in 2024 at Louisville, where Shough made 12 starts and set career highs across the board. He led the team to an 8-4 record while throwing for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. His completion rate (62.7%) leaves something to be desired, but Shough averaged a strong 8.2 yards per attempt. Pressure was minimal in his college career (sacked 49 times across 42 career games, including 14 times in 2024). As a runner, he's contributed 733 yards and 11 touchdowns on 246 career carries. Part of what fueled his breakout season was being older and more experienced than the competition. He has an NFL-caliber arm and shows a good feel for diagnosing defenses, but his effectiveness drops noticeably against pressure. He also tends to rush his throws and force the ball into tight windows when the pocket starts to collapse. Despite these concerns, New Orleans used an early second-round pick on Shough in the 2025 draft. In his first NFL season, the Saints gave Shough nine starts (5-4), in which he exceeded my expectations. His completion rate (67.6%) graded as a plus while minimizing the damage in interceptions (6). He played well in Week 10 (282/2) while showing a higher passing stride across his final four games (272/1, 308/1, 333/2, and 259/1), resulting

in 23.18 fantasy points per game and 313 combined yards per start. Shough was under duress on 19.6% of his passes, with 31 leading to sacks (8.7%). He also offered a reasonable floor in the run game (45/186/3). Fantasy Outlook: I have to give Shough credit for making the Saints' offense better in his rookie season. The 2026 high-stakes fantasy market believes in his success based on his quarterback ranking (17th). His stats over his nine starts suggest 4,500 combined yards with 25 combined touchdowns are within reach. Unfortunately, New Orleans receiving corps may not have the depth of talent to reach these lofty fantasy heights.