Juwan Johnson (illness) DNP on Wedesday

Johnson saw a slight uptick in snaps and routes after Noah Fant was inactive with an abdominal injury but returned a modest receiving line while being kept out of the end zone. The towering veteran finished third on the team in targets behind Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele, the latter of whom scored the only receiving touchdown in a game that saw the two teams combine for seven rushing scores. Johnson remains a back-end TE1 for as long as rookie Jordyn Tyson remains sidelined, which appears likely to persist for another few weeks, at minimum. That holds true ahead of a Week 5 meeting with the vaunted Vikings defense.

Johnson was getting open at will on out routes and shallow crossers. He and Noah Fant, along with the two Raiders tight ends, combined for six touchdowns, tying an NFL positional record. Johnson fumbled while trying to make a big play for his team late in the game. He attempted to stiff-arm Nakobe Dean, who cleanly punched the ball out for Eric Stokes to recover. Tyler Shough threw a bad pass to Johnson earlier on, which CB Hezekiah Masses easily picked off and returned downfield. Johnson raced after him and successfully punched the ball out with a diving hammer-fist, but the Raiders ultimately recovered that fumble, leading to a turnover for the Saints. Johnson remains a reliable TE1 against the Falcons next week.

Johnson was on the receiving end of two big plays in Sunday’s win over the Ravens. Johnson hauled in a short pass on a third-and-13 in the third quarter and turned it upfield for a 25-yard gain. In the fourth quarter, Johnson again picked up 25 yards on a short pass on third-and-eight, taking it to the Ravens’ five-yard line and setting the Saints up for a touchdown a few plays later. Johnson has caught seven passes in his first two games and is averaging an impressive 17.1 YPR on said catches. He’ll be on the TE2 radar for next week’s game against the Raiders.

Johnson posted a 3/54/1 receiving line last week and can be treated as a TE1 again in Week 2. Saints WR1 Chris Olave is nursing a hamstring strain, though the team is telling reporters that the injury is not concerning. Johnson could take on a slightly larger workload if Olave is at all limited, though we won’t know if that is the case until the dust settles and the game ends.

Johnson is firmly on track to play. Illness-related absences are very rare, and the Saints’ No. 1 tight end is already back at it. The Saints face the Ravens this weekend, in what should be a high-scoring game environment. Johnson is a locked-in TE1.

Johnson didn’t catch his first pass of the game until the final minute, when Tyler Shough found him in the end zone for a game-tying score. He then racked up another 45 yards on a catch at the end of the fourth quarter and another in overtime. Johnson only finished fourth on the team in targets, which could be an issue when the team’s passing volume inevitably dips. He will be a mid-range TE2 for another potential shootout with the Ravens next week.

Delp is dealing with a hamstring injury, missing the Saints’ practice on Tuesday. With Jordan Tyson (hamstring) slated to miss at least the next couple months, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche and Garafolo believe the Saints will lean on their tight ends. The rookie Delp is behind Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant on the depth chart. Based on Garafolo’s report, he won’t miss too much time with his hamstring strain; he has upside as a Dynasty stash but Juwan Johnson should be the top tight end as a low-end fantasy TE1 heading into the 2026 season.

Jackson noted that the rookie tight end was “the top target for the team’s offense” during the team’s first day of minicamp. Most rookie tight ends don’t bring much fantasy value to the table in their first season, but Delp could be the latest exception to that rule, especially if Moore plans to follow the trend of 12 and even 13 personnel sweeping the league. Delp wasn’t awfully productive at Georgia, peaking at just 284 yards as a sophomore, but he is a solid YAC creator and isn’t afraid to put his hand in the dirt to block. Delp should at least be on the radar in all dynasty formats.

The Saints are working to become cap-compliant entering next week. Johnson earned 100 targets last year, hitting triple digits for the first time in his career. Young led the team with 49 quarterback pressures and ranked second in sacks with 10.0. Reid totaled 53 solo tackles.

The 61 yards extended what was already a career-high yardage total to 889 for the sixth-year pro. Johnson was a legitimate No. 2 weapon behind Chris Olave, putting up strong numbers with both Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough. He finishes comfortably inside the top 12 in tight end PPR points per game, and could make a genuine run at 1,000 yards in 2026 if Shough plays like he did down the stretch. Signed to a wonky contract that includes $9.08 million guaranteed for next season, Johnson is a safe TE1 projection in fantasy.