They were one of the fun teams of the 2025 season, winning 4 of their last 5 games while riding the tandem of Tyler Shough and Chris Olave. Now they're one of the fun teams to dream on and a legitimate contender in the NFC South. Ian Hartitz and Dwain McFarland bring you everything you need to know about the Patriots for fantasy football with their 2026 fantasy football cheat sheet, highlighting their fantasy football rankings, projections and more.

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New Orleans Saints Cheat Sheet for 2026

• 2025 Record / Rank in PPG: 6-11 / 18.0 (28)
• 2026 Proj TDs per game: 1.9 (rank: 27)
• Head Coach: Kellen Moore
• Offensive Playcaller: Moore (OC Doug Nussmeier)
• Projected Plays Per Game: 62 (rank: 4)
• Projected Dropback Rate: 61.8 (rank: 6)
• Matthew Freedman’s Projected Win Total: 7.8
• Offensive Line Grades: C
• Key Departures: None
• Key Additions: Travis Etienne, Jordyn Tyson, Oscar Delp, Bryce Lance

Saints Fantasy Football Rankings and Depth Chart

QB: Tyler Shough (QB21)

RB: Travis Etienne (RB18) | Alvin Kamara (RB45) | Kendre Miller (RB81)

WR: Chris Olave (WR13) | Jordyn Tyson (WR28) | Bryce Lance (WR75)

TE: Juwan Johnson (TE20) | Oscar Delp (TE41)

2026 Saints Fantasy Football Overview 

Tyler Shough took over in Week 9 and worked as the QB12 in fantasy points per game the rest of the way. Shough's sneaky athleticism—get it? because he's white—helped him average 3.33 fantasy points per game from rushing. That was right there with Caleb Williams and even Lamar Jackson. With the addition of WR Jordyn Tyson at No. 8 in the NFL Draft, Shough fits the profile of a quality late-round QB.

The Saints have 52 million reasons to feature Travis Etienne as their lead back. Credit to the ex-Jaguar for racking up 1,441, 1,484 and 1,399 total yards with an average of 10 touchdowns in three seasons when he was healthy enough to suit up for all 17 games. Still, Alvin Kamara (should he remain with the team) has plenty of history with the team, which could certainly lead to more of an annoying backfield split than fantasy managers might prefer. Ultimately, ETN is the favorite to lead the way, but his top-20 ADP could look rough should this wind up being anything close to an evenly split committee.

Chris Olave's breakout 2025 campaign featured a sizzling 100-1,163-9 receiving line and more PPR points during the fantasy playoffs than any receiver not named Puka Nacua. Few players combine Olave's mix of youth (26 in June), proven efficiency (WR17 in yards per route run since 2022) and projected volume (141 targets). A healthy Tyson figures to vie for triple-digit targets himself and profiles as a great complement to Olave.

Juwan Johnson set career-best marks in receptions (77) and yards (889) during 2025, as HC Kellen Moore proved willing to consistently feature the 29-year-old veteran as an every-down player for the first time in his career. Rookie Oscar Delp might have a bright future, but at least for 2026 Johnson (again) profiles as the sort of player with borderline TE1 upside at a low-end TE2 cost.

New Orleans Saints Utilization Notes 

Chris Olave finished as the WR6 in fantasy, averaging 16.8 fantasy points. Under Kellen Moore, Olave shifted more to the slot (42%), where he created matchup nightmares for interior defenders. Tyler Shough emerged as a viable passer, averaging 251 yards, after taking over in Week 9. Olave boasted a 29% target share and 126 air yards per game in eight contests with Shough. He was the No. 4 WR over that span with 18.8 PPG and an 88 Utilization Score (3rd). Olave's talent profile has always had the underpinnings of a borderline WR1—in line with his 2026 projection.

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