Read the Room: New Orleans Saints 2026 Fantasy Football Preview

The New Orleans Saints are a team the fantasy community is excited about this year. Their second-year head coach and quarterback both impressed last season, they signed Travis Etienne in free agency, and they made a splash in the draft by taking Jordyn Tyson in the Top 10. It seems like they have the pieces to compete for the division. Now we just have to figure out where the fantasy value is, and what it's worth.

ESPN FPI Ranking: 25

Quarterbacks

Tyler Shough shocked everyone BUT the Saints when he stepped in as the starter in Week 9 last season. The Saints made sure they had their guy in the 2025 draft, and that risk may have set them up at quarterback for the next few seasons.

Shough played better on the field than he did in fantasy, but fans were happy to see him finish as a QB2 in points per game after grabbing him late in drafts or off the waiver wire. The Saints have continued to build around him this offseason, and I expect his ADP to climb into the Top 18 at quarterback as draft season moves along.

Running Backs

The Saints took a chance on a former RB1 to help balance their offense. They've been trying to find the right complement to Alvin Kamara for the past few seasons, but now the RB room feels overcrowded, which it is. They currently have seven running backs on the roster, but Etienne and Kamara are the only two I'm interested in rostering.

Etienne finished as the RB10 in 2025, rushing for over 1,000 yards, catching 52 passes, and scoring 13 total touchdowns. I hate to say it, but I expect some regression in the passing game, which could actually be better for the Saints overall. We could see Etienne push toward 1,300 rushing yards while still reaching double-digit touchdowns, even if he's less involved as a receiver.

With that said, Kamara is the value in this backfield. He's been one of the league's most consistent receiving backs, topping 100 targets multiple times during his prime. I don't expect that kind of volume this year, but I do think 80 targets and four to five receiving touchdowns are realistic. At RB55, that's a value I'm willing to chase.

Wide Receivers

The Saints improved their WR room in one fell swoop during the 2026 NFL Draft. Jordyn Tyson has the potential to become an elite NFL receiver, and that talent is already showing up in training camp. Pairing Tyson with Chris Olave, who just got his bag, could be a problem for NFL defenses if Shough continues to improve.

Tyson spent a good portion of his college career dealing with injuries, but when healthy, he had the ability to take over games. He's long but has the quick-twitch ability to beat coverage underneath and get over the top on the same route. He's currently ranked WR33 and is being drafted in the seventh to eighth round in redraft leagues. I would love him as my WR3 and would even be comfortable with him as my WR2 in dynasty with the right build.

Olave is the epitome of "you get what you pay for." We know he can ball, but we also know he can get knocked out of a game early and leave you with a goose egg. He finished as a WR1 in 2025 while missing only one game after missing eight the year before. He's ranked WR12 by RotoWire, and I think that's a valuable pick. I wouldn't hesitate to make him my WR1 if I can pair him with a high-ceiling WR2.

I don't expect many other Saints receivers to be consistently relevant with these two commanding the majority of the targets. Both have had availability issues, though, so Devaughn Vele is worth considering on deeper rosters. The Saints also drafted Bryce Lance in the fourth round, giving them a long, athletic deep threat they didn't have last year. He's worth a stash in deep dynasty leagues, especially on a taxi squad.

Tight Ends

Juwan Johnson was a great waiver-wire addition in 2025, finishing as a low-end TE1 with nine Top-13 finishes throughout the season. The complication is Oscar Delp, whom the Saints drafted out of Georgia in the third round. Johnson may not see the 100-plus targets he received last season.

I still think Johnson can finish around where he did last year, and I'm not opposed to taking a late-round dynasty swing on Delp. If Johnson is cuttable after the 2026 season because of his contract, Delp could have a clear path to the starting role.

Final Thoughts

The Saints showed they could compete down the stretch in 2025. With consistent coaching and continued roster improvement, I don't mind drafting Saints skill players at their current ADPs. I just don't see enough value to chase them much higher.

Read the Room

The Saints are being drafted appropriately. Just don’t get too excited 

I will continue to break down organizational environments team by team as the offseason continues. Please leave a comment for more in-depth analysis, and don’t forget to check out Fantasy Football 4 Everyone on Spotify & YouTube. Also check out more content on Instagram @fantasyfootball4everyone.

Sources: ESPN NFL FPI, Sleeper, Rotowire Fantasy Football Tool