Hey nerds! The 2024 NFL season is almost upon us, and your boy is back to cover the New Orleans Saints in the Dynasty Nerds Fantasy Forecast Series. New Orleans finished second in the NFC South with a 9-8 record, ending their 2023 campaign on a high note, winning four out of their last five games. In this article, we will focus on key additions and subtractions to the roster and how they affect the Saint’s 2024 NFL season.
Quarterbacks
The days of Drew Brees are long gone in New Orleans as the quarterback. Derek Carr is the signal caller in New Orleans going into his second season with the team as he restructured his contract in the offseason. The 32-year-old finished 2023 with 3,878 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, which helped him finish as QB16. Carr’s interception total was the second lowest of his career.
Carr’s toughness was also displayed as he battled numerous injuries but did not miss a single game. Carr should be in line for a similar fantasy season, as he should be right in the QB2 range with a low fantasy ceiling. Carr is a very reliable option as over his career, he has had QB season finishes of QB16, QB17, QB13, QB14, QB17, QB20, QB19, QB12, QB14, and QB20. In an ideal world, Carr would be the perfect solution as your QB3 in Superflex’s bye weeks and possible favorable matchups.
A name to stash away would be fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler. The backup position is up for grabs in New Orleans, with Jameis Winston taking his talents to Cleveland. If New Orleans’ season goes south, Rattler could see some action and have some fantasy upside that Carr does not possess. I wouldn’t hesitate to use a fourth or fifth-round rookie pick on Rattler and let him sit on your taxi squads.
Running Backs
The 2023 New Orleans rushing attack finished 21st in the league with 1,742 yards on the ground. Klint Kubiak is now the offensive coordinator in New Orleans, taking over for Pete Carmichael after 15 years. Kubiak is from the Kyle Shanahan tree and will rely heavily on zone schemes. I look for New Orleans to improve their rushing numbers in 2024.
That attack was led by Alvin Kamara, who accounted for 694 rushing yards on the ground. However, rushing yards are not where Kamara thrives, as he is an elite option in the passing game. Kamara caught 75 receptions for 466 receiving yards, including two double-digit reception games in 2023. Kamara averages roughly 72 receptions a season, and I don’t see that changing in 2024, even if Kamara will be 29 years old.
If you are a Kamara owner and a team in rebuild mode, I would be looking to move him. Kamara is in line for a low-end RB1 and high-end RB2 season. A situation to monitor during training camp will be Kamara’s contract situation. He left minicamp early, and his agent confirmed it was contract-related.
Behind Kamara, the waters are a little muddier. Sophomore running back Kendre Miller was a hot dynasty name last year but has cooled off due to being out-touched by veteran Jamaal Williams. Williams was, however, very inefficient on his carries, producing a career-low 2.9 yards per carry. New Orleans needs to see what they have in Miller, so look for him to switch roles with Williams and function more as the backup to own.
Wide Receivers
The most significant loss in the receiver room was former two-time All-Pro Michael Thomas. However, we have not seen that form of Thomas, as he has only played 20 games in the past four seasons. But don’t worry, Chris Olave has been filling that void at receiver for the past two seasons, and going into his third, there seems to be no signs of that changing. Olave had career highs in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and fantasy points per game, finishing as WR16 in the season.
His 2024 season should be even better with Kubiak as a play-caller. I look forward to this being the year Olave enters the WR1 territory among rankers and analysts.
It’s been hard in the offseason not to hear the name Rashid Shaheed, and for good reason. Shaheed finished 2023 with a 46/719/5 TD stat line. He will now take over the WR2 role since Thomas was released.
Currently ranked as WR82 in our latest rankings, I see that as a screaming buying opportunity. Give me Shaheed over all these names, all day, every day!
The third wide receiver position is one to monitor. The target share may be limited, with targets going to Kamara, Olave, and Shaheed. The battle appears to be Cederick Wilson, rookie Bub Means, and second-year receiver AT Perry. If I was going to invest in any of those names, it would be Perry, but I would not pay too heavily. If you can get him for a fourth-rounder, I consider that a win.
Tight Ends
An injury during minicamp to Juwan Johnson puts his availability at the start of the season in question. Taysom Hill looks to benefit the most from this injury, but the problem with Hill is consistency. Hill finished as TE12 but had eight games where he finished with single-digit fantasy points. Hill optimizes a boom or bust option due to his ability as a rusher and passer. Hill is your player if you would like to live on the wild side. I like having more consistency, and not knowing when Hill will be utilized in the game plan makes him a sell option for me.
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