New Orleans Saints DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (hand) was listed as a non-participant in practice yet again on Thursday. Carr fractured his left (non-throwing) hand in the Week 14 win over the New York Giants but has missed the last two contests. The 33-year-old veteran signal-caller is battling hard to try and play before the end of the regular season, but with just two games left, it's unlikely we'll see Carr again. Rookie Spencer Rattler has been in over his head the last two weeks as the replacement for Carr, but to be fair, he has very little to work with on a banged-up offense. Rattler is on track to make his third straight start this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders if Carr is ruled out, which he likely will be on Friday's final injury report. If Carr doesn't make it back the next two weeks, he'll finish with a disappointing 2,145 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 starts.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (groin) was listed as a non-participant in practice again on Thursday. Kamara injured his adductor back in the Week 15 loss to the Washington Commanders and hasn't practiced or played since. Although the 29-year-old does want to return in the final two weeks of the regular season, the Saints have no incentive to push their star RB back onto the field, so fantasy managers still battling for a trophy in 2024 shouldn't expect to have him available this Sunday in Week 17 when the team takes on the Las Vegas Raiders. Kendre Miller served as the lead back on Monday night but did very little in a loss to the Green Bay Packers in which the Saints couldn't score at all. Kamara will need to practice in some fashion on Friday to avoid being ruled out for a second straight week. We wouldn't count on it.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) logged his second straight full practice of the week. Olave has been on the injured reserve since suffering his second concussion of the season during Week 9. Olave returned to practice last week but was only a limited participant. However, seeing him open the week as a full participant in back-to-back sessions puts him in a good position to return to action on Sunday. Fantasy managers should monitor his status during Friday's session, as he may be able to avoid an injury designation. Despite battling numerous injuries this season, Olave tallied at least 80.0 receiving yards in four of the eight games he played in. If he can suit up, he should be viewed as a decent flex option, given that he will be the lone proven pass-catching option in a depleted New Orleans offense.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (left hand) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimation. The Saints' didn't hold a practice, but if they had, Carr would not have participated. The veteran quarterback is reportedly still regaining strength in left hand after suffering a fracture against the New York Giants back in Week 14. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi recently relayed that Carr didn't want to be shut down for the final two games of the regular season, but the 33-year-old is at the mercy of his injury and recovery. Spencer Rattler was the Saints' quarterback against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, completing just 15 passes for 153 yards while taking three sacks and losing a fumble. The rookie's poor performance wound up in a 34-0 Saints loss, with New Orleans being the first team held scoreless in 2024. Rattler will remain the Saints' starter if Carr is unable to play against his old team, the Las Vegas Raiders, in Week 17.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (groin) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimation. The Saints didn't have an actual practice, but if they did, Kamara would have not participated. The veteran running back picked up a groin injury back in Week 15 and hasn't played since. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi recently noted that Kamara wants to play again this week and certainly doesn't want to be shut down for the rest of the regular season, but he also said that a decision hasn't been made on the 29-year-old's status going forward. Kamara had been closing in on his first 1,000-yard rushing season, posting a career-high 950 rushing yards to go along with his 543 receiving yards. He also found the end zone eight times through 14 games, using his pass-catching productivity to rank as the overall RB7 in PPR leagues. Kamara would rank as a top-12 fantasy running back if he's able to suit up against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17, but Wednesday's listing as a DNP is not a good start. If he can't play, Kendre Miller would step up as the Saints' primary running back for the second week in a row.