The New Orleans Saints offense was about as average as it gets last season. They frequently turned the ball over and ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in points and yards. These issues were addressed this offseason and their offense suddenly has a wide arsenal of talent.
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Saints Offense Filled with League Winners
New Faces in New Orleans
Their most noteworthy move this offseason is signing quarterback Derek Carr to a four-year contract. Carr spent the first nine seasons of his career starting for the Raiders. Coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, a change of scenery should benefit Carr.
As for the ground game, a pair of running backs were brought in to form a committee with Alvin Kamara. The Saints signed goal-line specialist Jamaal Williams, fresh off of a 17-touchdown season. They also selected Kendre Miller in the third round of this year’s draft.
Veteran wideout Michael Thomas technically isn’t a new addition, but he might as well be. Due to various injuries, he has hardly played in the last three seasons. Thomas is healthy entering 2023 and we can only hope he’s able to stay on the field.
Thomas may not be the team’s WR1 anymore regardless of whether he’s healthy or not. As a rookie last year, Chris Olave filled in for Thomas after he suffered a season-ending injury. Olave led the Saints offense in receiving with over 1,000 yards in 15 games played. He was atop all rookies in receiving yards per game but didn’t receive an Offensive Rookie of the Year nomination.
Most of the players mentioned above figure to be weekly starters for fantasy football week in and week out. But what makes them legitimate league-winners is their team’s schedule.
Favorable Matchups for Saints Offense
Things are bound to change from year to year, but based on stats from last season, the Saints have a remarkably easy schedule. Of the 14 defenses the Saints offense faces this season, only two were top-15 in the fewest yards allowed last year.
When looking at the Saints opposition in terms of points allowed, their schedule remains friendly. None of their 17 matchups this season come against a defense that was top-10 in the fewest points allowed last season.
The Saints schedule is particularly appealing during the fantasy football playoffs (week 15-17). Their week 15 game is a matchup against the New York Giants. The Giants defense allowed the 8th most yards and the 15th most points in the league last year.
It gets even better from there. New Orleans takes on the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in weeks 16 and 17, respectively. While both of these matchups are on the road, the Saints should be able to handle both opponents with ease. The Rams and Buccaneers are both projected for just [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”fbp/nfl_season_wins” query=”fbp/tampa_bay_buccaneers” site_id=”lastwordonsports”] this season, tied for second fewest. Assuming these expectations are correct, both teams will likely be focusing on 2024 this late in the season.
In general, the Saints offense is easy to project for season-long fantasy leagues. Players like Thomas, Williams, and Miller will have inflated value to start the season as they’re in favorable positions. Kamara will regain his role as the lead running back after his three-game suspension and produce as he always does. Olave and Carr will be solid options week in and week out based on their track record.
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Main Photo Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
