The New Orleans Saints kick off their 2025 season at home against the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday at home. While fans of the teams are feeling uninspired about the team's chances this year, there is still at least one interesting thing to monitor from a fantasy football perspective in Week 1.
Let’s dive into that matchup, which could help you start your fantasy season with a win.
Wide receiver Chris Olave didn’t exactly have an easy 2024 season. Dealing with multiple concussions, he appeared in only 8 games. When he was on the field, he struggled to the tune of 400 yards and one touchdown. While clearly talented, those numbers hardly inspire confidence.
However, there are multiple reasons to be optimistic about his 2025 fantasy prospects, especially in Week 1. First and foremost, he seems to be fully healthy. Yes, concussions are scary and can be a recurring issue. But Olave got through all of camp uninjured.
Secondly, the Saints are, to put it charitably, expected to compete for a high draft pick this season. That means that the team will of course be behind often. Therefore, there should be ample opportunities for Olave to capitalize in air it out/catch up situations.
Finally, in regard to this matchup specifically, the Cardinals' cornerback group is very young. With Sean Murphy-Bunting out for the season, every corner expected to get regular playing time for the Cardinals is on their first contract.
Yes, they’ve spent four Day Two picks on the position in the last three drafts, indicating their youth is at least talented. But none of the young veterans have established themselves as a true superstar.
So while the young Cardinals cornerback group is talented, and they do have All-Pro safety Budda Baker providing help, they’re still susceptible to youthful mistakes. And while Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler has been prone to his own mistakes, no other pass catcher on the team is better positioned to succeed this week than Olave.
It’s going to be a slog for the Saints offense this season. Perhaps Kellen Moore comes in and makes an immediate impact but even then, the ceiling is still limited by the team’s personnel. After all, this is still mostly the same offensive personnel that averaged a mere 19.9 points per game last season.
However, fantasy owners can take solace that, at the very least, Olave is fully healthy. And with his potentially favorable matchup and a game script that likely portends a heavy dose of passing, Olave should slot in as a solid WR3 in fantasy lineups with the upside for more.