New Orleans Saints

The Saints enter 2026 as one of the most interesting fantasy teams to watch because the offense has real upside, but also plenty of moving parts. Tyler Shough is the likely starting quarterback, and the passing game centers on Chris Olave, who remains the clear headliner even with the offense still settling in around him; ESPN’s depth chart also lists Devaughn Vele, Mason Tipton, and Juwan Johnson as key target competitors behind him.

Running back is where the fantasy conversation gets murkier, but Travis Etienne has quickly become the most important back to know after signing a four-year deal with New Orleans, while Alvin Kamara is still in the mix and Kendre Miller remains a depth option on the current chart. That setup makes Etienne the Saints’ most straightforward weekly fantasy bet, though Kamara’s role could still matter in PPR formats if his workload stays strong.

The Saints’ biggest recent fantasy-impacting news has come from the injury front and roster churn elsewhere on the team. Bryan Bresee was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL in August, Dillon Radunz also landed on IR with a torn ACL, and Keeshawn Silver was both reinstated from the active/PUP list and then cut, while Beanie Bishop was waived after previously showing up on the depth chart. Those moves matter more for the defense than for fantasy, but they reinforce that this roster is still being reshaped late in the summer.

For fantasy purposes, the best Saints approach is simple: trust Olave as the premium pass-catcher, treat Etienne as the back with the clearest path to usable volume, and view the rest of the offense as situational until Tyler Shough proves it can sustain multiple reliable starters. Juwan Johnson is the top tight end to monitor, and if the rookie or secondary receivers take a step, New Orleans could become sneaky useful in deeper leagues, but the most reliable 2026 Saints fantasy value still starts with the two headline names.