Team Profile
New Orleans Saints
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-4.8% 20thOff DVOA
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-0.3% 26thPassing DVOA
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-2% 12thRushing DVOA
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3.4% 22ndDef DVOA
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3% 11thDef Passing DVOA
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4.1% 30thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For20.6 22nd
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Points Against23.1 16th
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Yards Per Game327.0 18th
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Yards Allowed Per Game378.0 30th
New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener said he learned just before training camp that he had a rare form of skin cancer for his age pop up with a bump on his face, and he plans to follow up with another evaluation on an off day on Aug. 1. It remains to be seen if the 25-year-old will delay treatment for his skin cancer so that he can compete with rookie fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler for the backup QB job this summer behind starter Derek Carr. A fourth-rounder last year out of Fresno State, Haener was suspended for six games in 2023 and has yet to make his NFL debut. He has a shot to become the team's backup now that Jameis Winston is no longer in town, but there's no fantasy value here unless he wins the job and is thrust into the starting gig if Carr misses time with injury.
New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (hamstring) left Wednesday's practice with a hamstring injury. Miller strained his hamstring last year during the preseason to start off what was an injury-ruined rookie year. He should be considered day-to-day until more is known, but the Saints could certainly opt to take a cautious approach here. The 22-year-old TCU product was a third-round pick in last year's NFL draft, but he was held to eight just appearances, and he'd be missing out on valuable reps if this turns out to be a significant setback. Jamaal Williams would have a clearer path to No. 2 duties behind starter Alvin Kamara for any time Miller is absent from training camp, with gadget player Taysom Hill likely getting more involved in New Orleans' backfield.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (back) is set to practice on Wednesday at training camp, albeit in a limited fashion. Olave was put on the active/Non-Football Injury list last week as he's been dealing with some minor back tightness, but he will be good to go to put in some practice work for the team on Wednesday. Olave has put up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and is the unquestioned top receiver in the New Orleans offense. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable selecting Olave in the early rounds of fantasy drafts yet again this season.
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has reported for training camp despite leaving the team's minicamp early. Kamara's agent confirmed at the time that the running back's departure from minicamp was contract-related. Kamara's deal runs through 2025, and his appearance at camp should quell any speculation among fantasy managers that he was preparing for some kind of holdout. The five-time Pro Bowler caught a career-high 87.2% of his passes in 2023, but he's entering his age-29 season and has watched his rushing efficiency dip in each of the past three years. Despite having to share touches with Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller, however, Kamara still projects as a fine RB2 in PPR setups after closing as the overall RB3 in full-PPR points per game over 13 contests last year.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was placed on the non-football injury list on Saturday but has been removed on Monday and will practice. The former first-round pick is heading into his fifth season with the Chiefs and seems likely to continue in the backup role that he played in 2023. Last season, he saw 223 yards and one touchdown on the ground with 188 yards and one touchdown through the air. Since he's not seeing as much work as his first two years in the league, he'll likely remain a waiver wire streamer or at the end of benches in deeper leagues.