2025 New Orleans Saints Fantasy Preview
The Saints fell to 5-12 last season, finishing last in the division for the first time since 2008. Perpetually in cap trouble and with major questions at quarterback, Kellen Moore’s first stint as an NFL head coach will have major challenges. Without much cap space, the club extended Chase Young, added S Justin Reid, and brought back WR Brandin Cooks. The Saints reinforced both sides of the ball via the draft, but enter the 2025 season with one of the oldest rosters in the league.
The biggest obstacle for the Saints is at the most important position. Derek Carr’s retirement made the selection of second-round QB Tyler Shough all the more important. Shough’s 65.9 percent completion under pressure rate at Louisville showed promise, and we expect him to beat out Spencer Rattler for the starting gig. New Orleans upgraded their pass-catching group, but the Shough/Rattler pairing is unproven. Jake Haener (QB3) adds depth.
Alvin Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler, leads with 1,151 rushing yards (4.6 YPC) and 466 receiving yards. His 5.3 yards after contact and 52 forced missed tackles (top-10) anchor a run game ranked 14th (114.9 YPG). Kamara’s 70+ receptions and 1,800 all-purpose yards are key in Moore’s screen-heavy attack, and he remains a solid RB2. Kendre Miller again battled injuries and could be pushed for No. 2 duties by sixth-round Kansas rookie Devin Neal.
WR Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks form a compact but skilled trio. Olave’s 2.8 yards per route run and 13.9 yards per catch stood out, but Olave missed half the season with another concussion. Shaheed was having a breakout campaign before he tore his meniscus. Cooks, a veteran returnee, is a big upgrade over New Orleans’ other ancillary wideouts. When healthy, the receiving corps will be better, but dependent on questionable QB play.
Juwan Johnson, extended for three years, leads with 378 yards and three TDs. His 1.5 yards per route run and 11.1 yards per catch thrive in 12-personnel (22% usage). He set career-best marks in targets (66), catches (50), and yards (548), putting him firmly in the TE2 conversation. Taysom Hill is coming off an ACL injury, which endangers his valuable gadget role. If Hill is healthy, he can be a real wild card in an offense that lacks a proven signal-caller.
Fantasy Grade: C+
The Saints wisely used the 40th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to reinforce their quarterback position. Derek Carr’s surprising retirement sets the stage for Tyler Shough to win the starting job this summer over Spencer Rattler. Shough (6-5, 219) has an excellent arm and is adept at progressing through progressions. Shough passed for 3,195 and 23 scores last year at Louisville after three seasons at Texas Tech. But Shough will be 26 and has struggled against the blitz. The rookie growing pains could be significant on a rebuilding New Orleans roster.
There’s a decent chance that Rattler will open the season as the Saints’ starter. However, he didn’t show the ability to retain that job in an uninspiring rookie season. New Orleans looks like a bottom-5 team in the NFL, so expect the Saints to take a hot hand/revolving door approach to many positions, including QB. Rattler is little more than a Dynasty Superflex stash with a low ceiling and floor.
Alvin Kamara delivered another strong fantasy season in 2024, finishing as the RB8 in PPR formats despite missing two games due to a groin injury. He amassed 950 rushing yards, 543 receiving yards, and eight total touchdowns over 14 games, averaging 19.0 fantasy points per game—5th among running backs. Kamara led all backs in targets per game (6.6) and remained a top-tier receiving threat. With rookie quarterback Tyler Shough expected to lean on short passes, Kamara should continue to be a PPR machine. The Saints’ backfield additions aren’t likely to impact his workload significantly.
ADVICE: Neal topped 1,000 rushing yards for three straight seasons at Kansas. He has good burst and also excels as a pass-catcher. The sixth-rounder has a legit shot at unseating Kendre Miller for RB2 duties behind Alvin Kamara.
ADVICE: A promising resumé has been torpedoed by injuries. Added competition from Devin Neal further complicates Miller’s future as Alvin Kamara’s heir apparent.
Chris Olave is a risky WR3 for 2025 fantasy football due to health and quarterback concerns. In 2024, Olave played eight games, recording 32 receptions, 400 yards, and one touchdown, averaging 5.8 PPR points per game. His 2.15 yards per route run remained efficient, but two concussions sidelined him for the season’s latter half. With Derek Carr’s retirement and unproven quarterbacks (Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler), Olave’s outlook is murky. Despite a 25-percent target share, his injury history and quarterback uncertainty cap his upside.
Shaheed was off to a blistering start, averaging 12.6 fantasy points per game before a meniscus injury ended his season in Week 6. Shaheed’s insane 50.3 percent air yards share led the NFL, and he was top-5 in ADOT (17.6) and yards per catch (17.5). Coming off a major knee injury is the first concern for Shaheed. Secondly, there is the Saints’ unsettled quarterback job, which will be led by unproven Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler. Shaheed did enough last season to be the Saints’ No. 2 wide receiver, but he comes with noteworthy risk in his fourth pro season.
Cooks returns to the team that drafted him 20th overall in 2014. At 31, his explosiveness has faded, and he’s coming off a career-worst season with 26 catches, 259 yards, and a 10.0 YPR in just 10 games. Clearly past his prime, Cooks is likely to serve as a WR3/WR4 behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed in Kellen Moore’s Saints offense. The team’s unsettled quarterback room is another factor holding Cooks down. He’s now washed, but Cooks’s fantasy value is limited to a speculative pick in deeper leagues.
ADVICE: The lack of clarity at QB keeps Johnson rather low in our projections. He offers mid-range TE2 potential in a more stable environment. The Saints also added Brandin Cooks and will have a healthy Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
ADVICE: High-upside stash. Hill’s gadget role comes with a high fantasy ceiling. However, he’s working his way back from a major injury, and there is a new staff that may not utilize him similarly.
The Saints’ inability to consistently score touchdowns led to an average season for Grupe, who racked up 108 points in 2024. This season looks like it could be worse for the New Orleans offense, with one of the worst QB situations in the league. That doesn’t bode well for Grupe or any of his fantasy Grupes.
The Saints are fading fast. They ranked 30th in total D last season and allowed the second-most rushing yards (2,404). They put the “No” in “NOLA”. The Saints’ DST is well off the fantasy radar.
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