It’s not going too far out on a limb to say the New Orleans
Saints will have the NFL’s least productive QB room in 2025.
Between rookie Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener,
the Saints have a collection of signal-callers that won’t
move the needle much in fantasy or the NFL. As of this writing,
New Orleans has yet to name a starter. But while there’s
a chance that Rattler will get the nod to start the season, we
should expect Shough to get the bulk of this year’s playing
time at QB, if for no other reason than the team has the most
draft capital invested in him as a second-round pick. Besides,
with this being a season of low expectations for the Saints, now’s
the time to play young players to see what they have.
Whoever becomes the starter, it won’t matter much in fantasy
football because the Saints are expected to have one of the NFL’s
least effective offenses. Only in the deepest of leagues or superflex
leagues should a Saints QB earn consideration for a spot on your
roster.
A quick glance of the Saints roster immediately reveals that
Alvin Kamara is the best fantasy option on the team. The 30-year-old
is entering his ninth season at the running back position, but
he remains a productive player. He finished 2024 with three games
of more than 100 yards rushing -- the first time he’s done
that since 2021 -- and from Week 4 till the end of the season,
he had at least four receptions in every game.
And therein lies Kamara’s true value in fantasy, especially
in PPR leagues -- production through the passing game. For his
career, Kamara is only 51 receptions away from reaching third
on the all-time list for receptions by a running back -- a total
he failed to reach only once in eight years. To what degree the
below-average offense around him limits his productivity remains
to be seen, but fantasy managers can always count on Kamara putting
up numbers as a receiving threat. And with the prospect of the
team relying on inexperience at the QB position, we should expect
a boat load of dump-offs to Kamara, which raises his floor. He’s
currently being drafted as a RB2. If you select him, keep your
fingers crossed that the struggles he’s sure to find from
the players around him doesn’t derail his productivity.
Chris Olave’s 2024 season was one to forget -- for him
and the fantasy managers that spent an early draft pick on him.
The multiple concussions he sustained last year limited him to
only eight games with 32 receptions and one score. He and the
team are saying he’s now symptom-free and ready to roll
for 2025.
Of course, with the status of this offense, Olave’s potential
for fantasy stardom is minimal at best. He did, however, have
his best game of the year in 2024 with Rattler and Haener playing
QB -- an eight-catch, 107-yard performance at the Los Angeles
Chargers. Whether or not that kind of game is in the cards this
year remains to be seen, but the WR3 that Olave is currently being
drafted as is about where he should go. As in Kamara’s case,
there will be some weeks when Olave is a no-show. So, if your
roster can absorb an inconsistent WR3 receiver, Olave’s
your guy. Counting on him as your WR2 will not be for the faint
of heart.
Rashid Shaheed is a big play waiting to happen. Much like his
rookie season in 2022, Shaheed was among the league leaders in
yards per reception last year with 17.5 YPR. But he played in
only six games and had 20 receptions. Such limited availability
stunts his growth as a pass catcher and thus his viability as
a reliable fantasy weapon. Shaheed is expected to start opposite
Olave with the hope that he can stay healthy long enough to fulfill
his promise as a dynamic complementary receiver. Shaheed should
be viewed as a low-end WR4/high-end WR5 with limited upside if
Olave misses extended time.
With the expected early-season absence of Taysom Hill following
his ACL tear in December, Juwan Johnson’s value should get
a slight boost. He did close last year strong with 17 targets
in the final two games and the team did re-sign him this past
off-season to a three-year extension. Translation: Johnson goes
from an undraftable player to someone fantasy managers might toy
with picking up off the waiver wire in Week 8 with six teams on
bye.
