New Orleans Saints DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Per Mike Triplett of the team, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (hand) is reportedly "very confident" he'll be back with the Saints in 2025. New Orleans came out of the gates hot this season -- winning their first two games by a combined 91-29 margin before it all came crashing down. They'd finish at 5-12 after sustaining many injuries on both sides of the ball, and their starting quarterback also fell victim to that team trend. Carr missed seven games in 2024 after battling a core muscle injury and a fracture in his non-throwing hand -- culminating in the worst statistical season of his career. Unfortunately, it's a lost season for him and the team, but he'll look to give it at least one more go next year. Presently, his contract locks him up with New Orleans through 2026.

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (knee) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had been listed as questionable after logging three consecutive limited practices. Johnson has operated alongside Foster Moreau all season long, catching a career-high 44 passes for 468 yards and three touchdowns through 16 games. He ranks as the overall TE22 in PPR leagues this season, making him a mid-to-low TE2 option for the final week of the 2024 regular season.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (groin) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This news does not come as much of a surprise given that Kamara had been listed as doubtful and did not practice this past week. The 29-year-old finishes the 2024 season with 950 rushing yards, 543 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns through 14 games. He was well on his way to his first-ever 1,000-yard rushing season before suffering a season-ending groin injury in Week 15. He'll come up 50 yards shy of that mark but still finishes 2024 as the overall RB8 in PPR leagues. With Kendre Miller (concussion) also sidelined, the Saints will rely on a combination of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jamaal Williams, and Jordan Mims out of the backfield in Week 18.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. has seen increased playing time over the last few weeks. Austin has seen 70 percent of the offensive snaps or more during each of the last three games. Sadly, Austin hasn't been able to do much with the extra snaps. The 24-year-old has three receptions for 48 yards over the span. The expectation is Austin will continue seeing plenty of the field during Sunday's regular season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Austin hasn't done enough on the field lately to be considered a viable fantasy option.

According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, the New Orleans Saints have ruled out wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) for Sunday's regular season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The star wideout has been sidelined since suffering his second concussion of the season during their Week 9 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Even though Olave has been able to participate in practice as a full participant over the past two weeks, Olave has not been able to pass the league's protocol to officially suit up. The 24-year-old has only been able to participate in just six full games this season. Across this small sample size, Olave tallied at least 80 receiving yards in four of them and found the end zone once. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kevin Austin to lead the passing attack on Sunday.