New Orleans

Saints

Hill also recovered his own fumble. This is getting rather ridiculous. Today was the third time this season Hill finished with negative rushing yards. All his explosion is gone during his age-35 season. It’s time for the Saints to move on from his change-of-pace handles. Fantasy managers should have already done so long ago.

Vele’s 40 yards were a far cry from his shocking Week 13 total of 93, but he actually led the team as Tyler Shough attempted only 20 passes in rainy conditions. One of Vele’s grabs was a huge late third-down conversion. Having now easily consolidated Rashid Shaheed’s vacated targets in this high-attempts offense, Vele is displaying some WR4 juice. It’s just so hard to tiebreak in favor of a Saint with bye weeks over and the fantasy playoffs beginning. Despite an improving Shough, this remains a below-average fantasy environment.

This is Johnson’s standard statline of late, but it was more impressive today with Tyler Shough attempting only 20 passes in rainy Tampa conditions. Johnson is typically going to see at least 6-7 looks. We would expect him closer to that norm for Week 15 against the Panthers back on the Superdome’s fast track. Even with bye weeks over, Johnson will maintain low-end TE1 appeal.

With the Saints riding the running game and short fields following failed Bucs fourth-down attempts, Olave posted his second fewest receiving yards of the season as Tyler Shough attempted only 20 passes in the rain. Olave was the intended target on Shough’s interception, a miscommunication where Olave cut off his route. If Olave’s back injury was an issue, we didn’t notice. Today was disappointing, but the Saints are typically a high-attempts passing attack. He will remain a strong WR2 for Week 15 against the Panthers.

Neal’s three-yard score to cap off the Saints’ opening drive was the first touchdown of his career. Excellent stuff for fantasy managers taking the FLEX plunge, but Neal then surprisingly lost two more rushing scores to not-exactly-dual threat Tyler Shough. Neal did out-touch backup Evan Hull 20-2, and he ground out some tough yards in obvious rushing conditions in rainy Tampa weather. Basically, he passed the RB3 assignment, though Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle) could be back for Week 15. If not, Neal will find himself hanging around the top 30 as New Orleans takes on Carolina’s middle-of-the-road run D.

On the rarest of three-touchdown days for the Saints, Shough shockingly accounted for two of them with his legs. He tallied a 34-yarder with a read-option keeper in the third quarter and added a 13-yarder the following frame by absorbing a big hit at the goal line. Shough’s 13-yard TD was a true scramble, not a designed run. Those were by far his biggest plays on a day where he completed just 13 passes, but seemingly all of his completions came on big second-half third downs. Shough kept the chains moving, and the Saints kept the upset percolating. The Bucs still got the ball back with a chance to win, but, unlike Shough, Baker Mayfield couldn’t get the critical third- or fourth-down completion to keep the game going. Doing a little more of, well, everything than expected, Shough is making a bid to return for 2026 as starter, though we still would not consider that written in stone. He will need to have more positive days down the stretch. Week 15 opponent Carolina will be coming off bye, and has had some big defensive efforts of late, keeping Shough firmly outside the top 24 in fantasy.

We suppose Olave could be a snap count or re-injury risk, but you have no choice but to roll him out there as your WR2. His floor is too high, and ceiling still at least theoretical. Inactive for the Saints are RB Alvin Kamara, RT Taliese Fuaga, S Justin Reid, DT John Ridgeway, DT Khristian Boyd, CB Rejzohn Wright and TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden.

Olave dealt with back spasms in practice two weeks ago. He played through them versus the Dolphins and caught four passes for 47 yards and a score. It wasn’t his best showing of the year, but he looked fine. He missed Wednesday’s practice this week but was on the field for the following two sessions before being listed a questionable. Per usual, Olave is on track for volume-based WR2 numbers versus the Bucs.

Smyth nailed a 56-yard field goal in his NFL debut in Week 13, and the product of Ireland will once again handle kicking duties for the Saints in Week 14 against the Buccaneers. His strong leg and New Orleans’ inability to complete drives makes him worthy of consideration for those who get added points for lengthier field goals.

He suffered a knee injury in Week 13, one that Kellen Moore said will “not send him to injured reserve.” But it doesn’t appear that Reid will be back any time soon. Terrell Burgess will likely be called upon for most of the snaps at safety on Sunday.