Seen as more of a retooling effort than a total rebuild, the New Orleans Saints are going to look quite different this season. Having welcomed in rookie WR Chris Olave with their first pick this past April, the offense should look like a solid unit – provided both Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas are on the field.
As Olave enters the fold alongside Thomas, the Saints are looking up at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South division, an outcome not thought possible with the retirement of Tom Brady. But with Brady having second thoughts and the Bucs reloading for another run, Olave will be a key piece for New Orleans as they try to re-insert themselves into the conversation for the postseason.
Chris Olave’s Fantasy Football Outlook For 2022
There is a reason that Olave came highly regarded during this NFL Draft cycle – and it is not just because he played at Ohio State. While the Buckeyes certainly have turned into a wide receiver factory for the NFL, Olave was one of the strongest prospects to come out of their WR room in a while, and the Saints were happy to add him to their lineup.
Early takeaways from training camp suggest that Olave is catching on nicely, establishing a strong connection with Jameis Winston. With Winston’s key for the 2022-23 NFL season being a decrease in turnovers, having a sure-handed weapon like Olave certainly can’t hurt those chances.
A big part of what makes Olave great is his speed metrics, as he ranked in the 94th percentile for his 40-yard dash time (4.39) and in the 66th percentile for his speed score (98.3), which measures his weight when combined with his 40-yard dash time. Not only is his athleticism strong, but his sustained experience carrying a heavy target share load helps show what kind of player he will be at the NFL level.
Having an 18+ percent target share, topping out at 25.8 percent in his junior campaign, demonstrates that Olave is more than capable of establishing himself as Winston’s top target, a potential based on Thomas’ health. If Thomas misses any time (or Kamara for that matter), then Olave’s value skyrockets, immediately bypassing his current WR 44 ADP on Underdog.
Valuing rookies in fantasy football can be tough, especially if they carry a high ADP with them. Any rookie that is projected to be selected in Round 5 or earlier can quickly provide buyer’s remorse, but Olave looks to be one of the more sure-fire options as your draft approaches.
With Winston only having played in seven games in 2021, none of which with Thomas on the field can make you pause when considering drafting Olave. But with Winston’s willingness to fling the ball all over the field (even if not deep), Olave should be able to hold his own as a WR3 with WR2 upside, especially if Kamara is suspended or Thomas goes down.
2022 Projections – 81 targets, 65 receptions, 871 yards, 6 TDs
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