New Orleans Saints DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

New Orleans Saints receiver Chris Olave should once again be set to lead the receiving room in 2024 after the departure of the oft-injured Michael Thomas. Olave was commonly selected in Round 2 of fantasy drafts this draft season, making it likely that he will be thrust into starting lineups in Week 1. Expectations should be tempered, as Carolina offers a strong matchup on the ground but a weaker matchup for receivers. Olave is in WR2 territory entering his season debut, and is the favorite to lead the team in targets.

New Orleans Saints veteran running back Alvin Kamara is set to handle his typical workload on Sunday as he suits up to face the Carolina Panthers. With New Orleans favored, it is possible that we see them stick to the ground game against the divisional rival. Carolina's rush defense surrendered the 10th most yards in the league a season ago, and may have even more holes heading into 2024. With Kendre Miller (hamstring) on the injured reserve and Jamaal Williams coming off of a down year, Kamara should be set to dominate touches. He is a low-end RB1 in Week 1 in a plus matchup.

New Orleans Saints' quarterback Derek Carr finished as the QB16 overall last season after some impressive games down the stretch. To kick off 2024, he will face a Carolina defense that has many holes. The matchup still isn't beautiful, as both of these teams like to win through their defense and we could be faced with a lower-scoring game. Carr grades as a low-end QB2 in Week 1, as he has a safe floor but does not offer much of a ceiling. There are likely better options available in leagues where you can start multiple quarterbacks.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks isn't a great option in Week 1 fantasy lineups. The Cowboys offense will once again run through CeeDee Lamb and the running game, with Cooks playing more of a support role on the field. Last season, Cooks ended up as the WR43. All of that, combined with a strong Cleveland Browns secondary, makes Cooks an easy pass in starting lineups for the first week of the season.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (foot, toe) was able to put in a full practice on Wednesday and is not listed on the team's first official injury report in the lead-up to Week 1 of the regular season this Sunday against the division-rival Carolina Panthers. Shaheed missed time in training camp with foot, toe and hamstring injuries, but he has healed up at just the right time and will be on the field this weekend, hoping for a bigger role in the passing game in 2024. The 26-year-old third-year wideout will be looking to step up as the Saints' No. 2 behind Chris Olave after catching 46 of his 75 targets for 719 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games in 2023. Shaheed's yards per catch (15.6) came down slightly from his rookie campaign, and he'll need more targets most likely to become more than a boom/bust WR5/flex for fantasy managers in his third year in the NFL.