New Orleans Saints DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara had a whopping 29 carries and ran for 155 yards against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Kamara also led the Saints in receiving in their 23-22 loss, catching six of his nine targets for 60 yards. Already the league leader in touches entering Week 9, it was expected that Kamara would see a heavy workload. Jamaal Williams (groin) and Kendre Miller (hamstring) were both inactive and the Saints' already thin receiving corps lost Chris Olave (concussion) midway through the first quarter, increasing the Saints' reliance on Kamara further. Kamara has been held out of the end zone since Week 6 but now has over 1,000 yards from scrimmage on the season. He will face off against the Falcons in Week 10, against whom he gained 119 total yards and scored a touchdown in Week 4.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr returned to action on Sunday for the first time since exiting Week 5 with an oblique injury. He went 18-for-31 for 236 yards and a touchdown in the 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Carr lost the services of Chris Olave (concussion) midway through the first quarter after the receiver was hit hard going up for a pass that left him defenseless. Most of Carr's passes were on short and intermediate routes, perhaps to avoid any further stress as he continues healing. Curiously, one of Carr's few deep shots came on the Saints' last play of the game when he lofted a ball up for a well-covered Cedrick Wilson Jr. when New Orleans needed just four yards to convert on fourth down with 64 seconds left on the game clock. Carr was 1-for-5 on red zone pass attempts with the lone completion being his touchdown pass to tight end Foster Moreau. With a depleted pass-catching corps, Carr will be hard to trust in Week 10 when the Saints host the Atlanta Falcons.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) has been discharged from Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center and will return to Louisiana with the rest of the team on Sunday evening. Although Olave suffered a scary-looking hit early in the first quarter of Week 9, it's refreshing to know that Olave has movement in all extremities and has been able to leave the hospital. Nevertheless, Olave, who has already suffered three concussions in his career, could face a multi-week absence as he recovers from such a serious injury. Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill, Juwan Johnson, and Cedrick Wilson Jr. should operate as the focal points of the Saints' offense going forward.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) won't return to Sunday's game against the Panthers. He took a hard hit in the first quarter and was carted off the field, so most had already assumed he wouldn't be back. However, with Olave already suffering a concussion this season, there's a good chance he could miss time moving ahead. Of course, fantasy managers will be anxiously awaiting an update. Fortunately, the wideout was moving all of his extremities. But without Olave in the mix, Juwan Johnson, Cedrick Wilson Jr., and Mason Tipton could see more attention on the receiving end.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (head) exited Sunday's meeting with the Carolina Panthers with what appeared to be a head injury. The wideout took a hard hit in the first quarter and remained down for several minutes before eventually being carted off. It's not an ideal scenario for the team, and it's also not good news for Olave, considering he missed time already this season because of a concussion. While it's too early to speculate, there's a good chance he won't return. If that's the case, he'll finish with one catch for 13 yards. For now, fantasy managers should at least consider Olave as questionable, with Juwan Johnson, Cedrick Wilson Jr., and Mason Tipton in line to see more targets.