The New Orleans Saints have been struck by the injury bug this season, and once quarterback Derek Carr went down with an injury in Week 5, things quickly took a turn for the worse in the Big Easy.
After missing three games, Carr is now back at practice and likely starting in Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers. If the veteran signal-caller is back in command, is wide receiver Chris Olave a must-start option in fantasy?
The campaign thus far
In his five games this season, Carr has completed 90-of-128 pass attempts for 989 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. His stats are rather pedestrian, but two of his appearances resulted in blowout wins for New Orleans in which the team ran the ball far more than they passed.
As for Olave’s stat sheet, the third-year receiver has totaled 31 receptions for 387 yards and just one touchdown in seven games. It’s been a disappointing campaign for the Ohio State product, especially since he’s averaging a career-low 55.3 yards per contest. While he’s produced at least 80 yards in four outings, Olave has tallied 11 yards or less in three others.
Fantasy outlook
Olave has been an unreliable fantasy asset this season, however, he has less target competition now than earlier in the campaign. With fellow wideout Rashid Shaheed expected to miss the rest of the season due to a meniscus procedure, Olave is certifiably the primary target in the offense.
The 24-year-old recently showed what he’s capable of when hyper-targeted — Olave received 14 looks last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, which he turned into eight catches for 107 yards and 21.7 DraftKings fantasy points.
Carr’s return should bring more reliable quarterback play in New Orleans (sorry, Spencer Rattler), which helps the outlook for Olave. Plus, the Panthers are a prime matchup for fantasy. They rank 23rd against the pass and are tied for last place in passing touchdowns allowed. In total defense, Carolina also sits 29th in yards given up and dead-last in points allowed per game.
Fire Olave up for Week 9
As the Saints’ de-facto first option, don’t be afraid to start Olave in Week 9, especially in such a positive matchup. This could very well be the standout performance fantasy managers have been waiting for all season.
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