Chris Olave Comes With Plenty Of Question Marks For Fantasy Football

The Saints were plagued by injuries and poor quarterback play last season. That resulted in them averaging just 19.9 points per game. Their uncertain outlook at quarterback should pose a problem again this season for WR Chris Olave, who was limited to just eight games last season because of injury.

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Disappointing 2024 Campaign

A first-round pick in the 2022 Draft, Olave immediately took on a huge role for the Saints. In his rookie season, he caught 72 of 119 targets for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns. He followed that up with 87 receptions for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns on 138 targets in 2023. With plenty of targets and back-to-back seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards under his belt, Olave was one of the top wide receivers off the board in many 2024 fantasy drafts.

Olave would end up being one of the biggest disappointments at wide receiver for the season. He wasn’t a total flop out of the gate, recording at least 81 receiving yards in three of his first four games. In Week 8, he caught eight passes for 107 yards. However, he suffered two concussions during the season, limiting him to eight total games played. He did not take the field again after Week 9.

His disappointing 2024 season has pushed Olave down draft boards this season. According to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP, Olave has an ADP of 76. That puts him at WR35. To put that into perspective, he is being drafted after rookie WRs Tetairoa McMillan (ADP 59, WR28) and Travis Hunter (ADP 61, WR29).

Saints Quarterback Mess

The Saints finished last season with a 61.7% completion rate that was the third-worst mark in the NFL. Derek Carr had his own injury issues that limited him to 10 games. When he was sidelined, the Saints tried to patch things together at quarterback with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. However, Rattler completed just 57.0% of his passes, finishing with four touchdown passes and five interceptions. Haener completed just 18 of his 39 pass attempts (46.2%).

With Carr continuing to deal with a shoulder injury, he announced his retirement during the offseason. The Saints did not address the position through free agency, instead taking another stab at quarterback through the draft. They selected Tyler Shough in the second round, who had his own injury issues at college. He will turn 26 years old in September and should have an inside path to the starting job, given how bad Rattler and Haener were last year.

Saints Pass Catching Options Behind Olave

The Saints will have another season with RB Alvin Kamara, who is one of the best pass-catching running backs in the league. He should provide a nice safety valve for whichever young quarterback the Saints decide to put under center. They also have some depth at tight end with Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill. However, Hill is working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered in December.

The options behind Olave at wide receiver don’t exactly stand out. The Saints brought back Brandin Cooks, who played for the Saints for his first three seasons in the NFL. However, he hasn’t caught more than 57 passes in a season since 2021, and he will turn 32 years old in September. Rashid Shaheed showed some big-play upside by averaging 17.5 yards per reception, but he only caught 20 of his 41 targets. For his career, he has a 50.7% catch rate. If he can stay healthy, Olave should have no problem getting over 100 targets.

The Bottom Line

• Given his history with concussions, Olave is an injury concern this season.
• The Saints have an unsettled quarterback position, which could limit the overall upside of their passing game and ability to score points.
• Given his injury risks and the Saints quarterback options, Olave has seen his ADP drop to 76 (WR35), according to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP.
• Despite being just 25 years old and the stellar production in the first two seasons of his career, Olave should not be viewed as anything more than a WR3 in fantasy football because of his injury concerns and the uncertainty at quarterback for the Saints.