RapSheet: Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) out two months

Vele brought in a one-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal late in the second quarter to tie the game at 10-10. It would be the last points the Saints would score. Vele has hovered around these numbers through the first half of 2026, and while he provides Shough with a nice safety valve, it’s not exactly what fantasy managers should be chasing. He’ll be a WR4 in Week 9 against the Browns after the Saints “enjoy” their bye in Week 8.

Loomis said Tyson is “improving” in his long rehab from a major preseason hamstring injury. Tyson, who traveled with the Saints to France for their Week 7 game against the Steelers, could still be a couple weeks away as the team takes a cautious approach to his recovery. In the meantime, Bryce Lance will operate as the Saints’ No. 2 wideout behind Chris Olave. Lance over the past two weeks has a 13 percent target share and a 20 percent air yards share in the pass-first New Orleans offense.

The Saints have not opened Tyson’s 21-day window for return, but the fact that he traveled with the team suggests his window could be opened later this week, which would allow him to begin practicing with the team. There’s some belief that Tyson could return in Week 9 after the Saints’ bye week, but the team hasn’t committed to a return date for him just yet. We wouldn’t expect Tyson to suit up this week against the Steelers.

The Saints offense has not pushed the ball downfield over the past two weeks, leading to low-scoring outputs for Vele. He caught three passes on the day, and nearly reeled in a fourth catch on a Tyler Shough sideline overthrow in the second quarter. When the Saints aren’t in a pass-happy game script, Vele is relegated to touchdown-dependent FLEX value. He will be in the WR4 ranks against the Steelers for Week 7.

Tyson was officially a non-participant to begin the week, as expected. Moore adds that Tyson is “progressing well,” and New Orleans Football’s Mike Triplett said there is “an expectation that he’ll return to practice soon.” Tyson should be rostered in 12-team formats, but fantasy managers must, unfortunately, remain patient.

Tyler Shough managed a dismal 96 passing yards in this game, so there simply wasn’t enough production for any New Orleans wideout to post usable fantasy numbers. Vele still tied Chris Olave for a team-high in targets. He has at least four catches and six targets in every game this year. Even after a quiet Week 5, Vele remains a solid WR4 option headed into a Week 6 date with the Giants.

Vele’s nine targets ranked behind only alpha Chris Olave, although he was headed for another modest fantasy outing before a garbage time touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of the blowout loss. Vele has yet to eclipse 69 yards through the first month of play as he continues to operate in an intermediate role for a Saints team struggling to attack downfield. Fantasy managers could consider sitting Vele against the ferocious Vikings defense in Week 5.

The Saints’ offense has managed just fine without Tyson, but it doesn’t sound like it will get a boost from the rookie first-rounder any time soon. According to Schefter, Tyson is “making progress and feeling good,” but the earliest we may see him is Week 7. That said, due to the Saints playing Week 7 in Paris, Schefter also notes that “the most logical” return date for Tyson could be Week 9 after the team’s bye week. Fantasy managers stashing Tyson will need to continue doing so for the next several weeks, and even when he’s active, it could take a few games for him to see a full assortment of snaps. We can expect Devaughn Vele to continue operating as the Saints’ WR2 behind Chris Olave until Tyson returns.

Tyson is currently on injured reserve and will be eligible to join his teammates on the practice field next week. Moore added, “but we shall see” at the end of his statement, making it at least possible for Tyson to resume practicing in Week 5. For now, Week 6 could be more likely. Once activated from injured reserve, Tyson will have a 21-day window to continue rehabbing, if need be.

Vele nearly added a decent first-down pickup to his box score, but he was unable to secure the pass as he was diving to the ground. Aside from that, he had a nice 17-yard gain in which he ripped his leg away from a would-be tackler and scampered away for a few extra yards. Vele is a boom-bust FLEX against the Falcons next week.