New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener will open the season as Derek Carr's backup. He's officially active for Week 1 while rookie Spencer Rattler is a healthy scratch. The Saints' depth chart generated some buzz at the quarterback position, where Haener and Rattler were listed as co-backups, but it appears we now have a firm answer, at least for the start of the year. Haener was a fourth-round pick in 2023 and spent all of last season developing in the Saints' roster, but he has yet to appear in a game. Rattler was the team's fifth-round pick this year after he put together a couple of solid seasons at the University of South Carolina. Both players remain off the redraft radar as long as Carr is healthy.

New Orleans Saints' second-year kicker Blake Grupe is an option at the kicker position heading into Week 1's tout with the Carolina Panthers. Grupe had a solid rookie season, converting 30-of-37 field goal attempts with a long of 55 yards. The Notre Dame product finished the season strong and will look to carry over his late-season success into Week 1. Carolina allowed the fourteenth-most points to kickers a season ago, making it a solid matchup for Grupe.

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill showed in the preseason that he again will be used in the Saints' offense, creating headaches for fantasy managers. Hill is a high-end TE2 in Week 1 against Carolina, whose porous rush defense may open up opportunities for Hill to find the endzone. He likely won't pay off without a touchdown but is a solid tight end flier if your team lacks one of the top options. Hill's red zone usage will determine if he can be a viable fantasy option after he finished as the TE10 a season ago.

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson opened camp up on the PUP list, but is now fully recovered from his June foot surgery. Johnson had a down season a year ago, finishing as the TE26 overall. The veteran is available in many leagues, but could emerge as a consistent target earner behind Chris Olave. He grades as a low-end TE2 for Week 1, making him a very deep option, but the matchup with Carolina is not a great one for tight ends. Leave Johnson on the waiver wire for now, but monitor his Week 1 target share.

New Orleans Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed has been dealing with a foot injury over the past couple of weeks, but the third-year speedster avoided the injury report heading into Week 1's matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Shaheed could see a more consistent target share than he has in years past with Michael Thomas no longer on the roster, but he remains a boom-or-bust option until he proves otherwise. Against a Carolina defense that is favorable to the run game, Shaheed is best left on benches as a stash.