New Orleans Saints DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is off to the start that everyone was expecting for teammate Chris Olave. Through the first two games of the season, Shaheed has seven catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns and is leading the league in both yards per route run and fantasy points per route run. In Week 3, the Saints face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in what is expected to be a shootout. The Eagles allowed a touchdown to two different wide receivers in both of their games to start the season and last week teammates Drake London and Darnell Mooney both scored more than 17 fantasy points. Even though Olave is at the top of New Orleans' depth chart, Shaheed will still eat against a vulnerable secondary. He has thrived against zone coverage so far, which the Eagles use a majority of the time. Plug Shaheed in as a WR3/flex option on Sunday.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave is still waiting for his first big game of the year. He opened the season with a dud and then followed it with a modest four-catch, 81-yard effort in Week 2 that would have looked much better had he not been stopped just short of the end zone. To be fair to Olave, game scripts have not been conducive to a voluminous passing attack as each of the Saints' first two games have been blowout victories. Things can change as soon as this week when the Philadelphia Eagles head to New Orleans. The matchup has one of the highest expected point totals on Sunday's slate and if the game does devolve into a shootout, then Olave should see more, and more lucrative, opportunities. The Eagles, who are giving up 16.7 yards per catch to opposing wide receivers, will have to work hard to contain Olave, who has the third-best average separation score in the league. Lock Olave into starting lineups in Week 3.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara went off in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, scoring four touchdowns and gaining 180 scrimmage yards. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has breathed new life into the Saints' stale offense, transforming them into one of the most efficient attacks in the NFL. Two weeks is a small sample but the Saints' lead running back is looking like his old self again, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and is tied for the league's most rushes of 10 or more yards. In Week 3, Kamara faces a Philadelphia Eagles defense that has allowed a league-worst 6.4 yards per carry and gave up 122 total yards to Bijan Robinson last week. Kamara is undoubtedly a must-start on Sunday.

In Week 2, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr needed only 11 completions to rack up 243 passing yards and two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. He enters Week 3 ranked first or tied for first in yards per passing attempt, touchdown passes, completions of 40 or more yards, passer rating, and quarterback rating. Carr cracked 20 fantasy points in Weeks 1 and 2 and it is feasible he does the same again on Sunday. In Week 3, the Saints host the Philadelphia Eagles, who rank 27th in passing yards allowed and might miss starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (foot). So far in 2024, the Eagles have allowed at least 241 and two passing touchdowns in each of their first two games. Carr is a smash in superflex leagues and deserves a start in single-QB formats as he should put up QB1 numbers in what is expected to be one of the highest-scoring games of the week.

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (chest) is currently considered as questionable ahead of the Week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. The veteran tight end sat out of Wednesday's practice, but was able to get through a session on Thursday. He was limited on Friday and as a result will be tagged as questionable for this weekend. If healthy, Hill is a boom-or-bust TE2 otherwise Juwan Johnson figures to see more chances. Johnson is a desperation option in deep leagues if Hill is unable to play.