Team Profile
New Orleans Saints
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-4.1% 22ndOff DVOA
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-0.9% 24thPassing DVOA
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-0.2% 12thRushing DVOA
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6.4% 24thDef DVOA
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4.1% 13thDef Passing DVOA
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9.9% 31stDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For22.7 16th
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Points Against24.6 23rd
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Yards Per Game335.0 16th
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Yards Allowed Per Game386.0 28th
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (leg) suffered a lower-leg injury and is expected to miss a good amount of time, according to sources. While it's unclear if Johnson is now a candidate to miss the start of the 2024 regular season, at the very least he's going to miss the start of training camp next month and valuable repetitions as the team looks to get ready for next season. The 27-year-old's injury will open up more reps for the likes of Foster Moreau, Taysom Hill, rookie Dallin Holker, Michael Jacobson and Tommy Hudson this summer. Johnson took a step back in 2023 and finished with 37 receptions for 368 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games (11 starts) in his fourth year in the NFL. Even if Johnson is ready for Week 1 of the regular season, Hill will probably cut into his targets enough to keep him as a low-upside, touchdown-dependent TE2 in fantasy.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (shoulder) is wearing a non-contact jersey at summer practices due to a shoulder injury he suffered in the weight room a few weeks ago. However, head coach Dennis Allen said the former first-round pick has been going through full practices anyway, so this minor ailment shouldn't cause much concern. The 23-year-old has been fantastic through his first two NFL seasons, securing 159 of his 257 targets for 2,165 yards and nine touchdowns in 31 games. While Derek Carr isn't viewed as a high-level quarterback, he's been good enough to support fantasy WR1s throughout his career. New Orleans failed to add significant target competition this offseason, meaning Olave remains a WR1 candidate in his third NFL campaign.
New Orleans Saints hybrid offensive player Taysom Hill was seen taking direct snaps out of the backfield at organized team activities on Tuesday while also working with the special teams unit. SI.com's John Hendrix wrote that seeing Hill in the backfield is starting to be a pretty exciting thing. He lined up as the running back in shotgun formation and took the run left for a nice gain. In addition to taking direct snaps out of the backfield, Hill also caught some passes from quarterback Derek Carr as a pass-catcher. It remains to be seen exactly how Hill will be used in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system, but he could be on the field often in a variety of roles. With tight end eligibility in fantasy, he will at least have value as a low-end TE1 with the possibility for more if he's more active as a ball-carrier out of the backfield in 2024.
New Orleans Saints utility player Taysom Hill could have a significant role in 2024 under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, according to Saints reporter Jeff Duncan. The veteran has acted as a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, return man, and special teams ace in his seven-year career with New Orleans. Overall, he has posted 2,348 passing yards, 2,159 rushing yards, 756 receiving yards, 447 return yards, and 49 total touchdowns. Due to his tight end eligibility in lineups, he remains on the fantasy football radar, especially after this report. Hill has posted top-10 half-PPR finishes among tight ends in each of the last two seasons, and he could be primed to do it again in 2024.
The Buffalo Bills signed veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. MVS is no stranger to playing with elite quarterbacks between his time with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, and he'll now be in line to catch passes from Josh Allen in Buffalo. The 2018 fifth-round pick out of South Florida has not posted monster fantasy football numbers, but he has spike-week upside thanks to his field-stretching speed. That said, he's likely going to be more useful in "real life" compared to fantasy football based on his production profile thus far. In six NFL seasons, the 29-year-old has not eclipsed 690 yards or six touchdowns in a single season. Last year, he caught just 21 passes for 315 yards and one touchdown in 16 games. He's an interesting late-round flyer in best ball formats, but he might be a wasted roster spot in traditional leagues. MVS will compete with Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel for snaps in 2024, as second-round rookie Keon Coleman should be a locked-in starter.