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If you’ve wondered if Saints receiver Chris Olave should be on your draft radar this season, the latest Yahoo Fantasy Forecast episode with Matt Harmon and Footballguys Alfredo Brown offers some clarity — and a dose of optimism.
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First, let’s acknowledge the obvious: Olave, who already has two 1,000-yard receiving seasons on his resume, has never truly benefitted from consistent, high-end quarterback play since entering the league in 2022. Harmon and Brown both agree that his connection with Derek Carr left much to be desired — “they never really had the best chemistry in the world,” Harmon suggests. The lack of rhythm is a big part of why Olave hasn’t been a difference-maker in fantasy.
Yet, buried in uncertainty is a potential gold mine of upside. With new head coach Kellen Moore stepping in, there’s buzz around a more creative deployment of Olave — perhaps even increased usage out of the slot.
“What Moore has done for even a guy like DeVonta Smith … both [he and Olave are] technicians, pro-level route runners in college, ” Harmon points out. “They don’t need to play in the slot, but they can be weaponized in the slot.”
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Brown goes a step further: “I think that he’s got that upside for high-target volume, high efficiency deep downfield and he’s just one of those guys. Tyler Shough [the likely new QB] is actually a pretty good deep ball thrower … that could actually be good for Olave.”
Slot usage under Moore could mean more layup targets, and with a new offense and a QB unafraid to push downfield, those big Olave games may finally happen more often.
While there’s risk — particularly with QB uncertainty and Olave coming off of two scary concussions last season that limited him to eight games — better days could be ahead.
Olave’s blend of youth, technical polish and untapped ceiling are tantalizing. If Olave builds rapport with his quarterback and Moore makes him a focal point of the offense, a true breakout could be just around the corner — and that’s something worth keeping an eye on this summer ahead of fantasy drafts.
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