Olave had five receptions (on 12 targets) for 60 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 10-7 defeat to the Panthers.
Olave reclaimed his role as New Orleans' top wideout after dealing with a hamstring injury over the previous two weeks, accounting for just under half of New Orleans' 25 total targets Week 18. The rookie receiver got started early with two receptions for 32 yards on the opening drive, including a 25-yard receiving touchdown. However, he did cough up a crucial fumble at the Carolina 24-yard line during the second quarter. This still marked the 6-foot-1 receiver's first game with double-digit targets since Week 7. Olave finishes the 2022 regular season with 72 receptions (on 119 targets) for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns. He also did a very effective job while stepping up with previous No. 1 wideout Michael Thomas (toe) sidelined for all but three games this season, as Olave now has the second-most receiving yards of any rookie receiver in Saints history. Expect Olave to enter the 2023 campaign as one the likely frontrunners for the team's top receiver role.
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Saints' Chris Olave: WRs to Start
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I like the setup for Olave and Rashid Shaheed this week, and both are worth starting in three-receiver leagues, with a slight nod to Olave as the better Fantasy option. Olave hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 11 and missed Week 16 with a hamstring injury, but I hope he's fully healthy this week. And Shaheed is hot right now, having scored at least 13 PPR points in two of his past three games. But the reason to like both of these guys is the matchup with the Panthers, who have been awful against receivers of late and don't have starting corners Donte Jackson (Achilles) and Jaycee Horn (wrist). In Carolina's past six games, 10 receivers have scored at least 13 PPR points against this defense. This could be a big game for Olave and Shaheed in Week 18.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Four catches in return
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Olave tallied four receptions on five targets for 42 yards during Sunday's 20-10 victory versus Philadelphia.
Olave played 61 percent of the Saints' offensive snaps in his first game back from a hamstring injury. The rookie first-rounder didn't appear limited by this issue while catching all three of his targets for 31 yards on New Orleans' opening drive, but his opportunities dwindled as the Saints' offense shifted to a ball-control game script during the second half. Olave finished third on the team in targets behind tight end Juwan Johnson's seven and fellow rookie wideout Rashid Shaheed's six. Olave has topped more than six targets just once since Week 9, a stretch during which Andy Dalton has attempted fewer than 30 passes in every game.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Active against Eagles
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Olave (hamstring) is active for Sunday's game against the Eagles.
Olave returns from a one-game absence to face one of the best secondaries in the league, led by perimeter corners Darius Slay and James Bradberry. The Saints figure to roll with Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Tre'Quan Smith as their top three wide receivers, while Marquez Callaway is a healthy scratch.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Expected to play Sunday
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Olave (hamstring) is expected to suit up for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Olave sat out Week 16 due to a hamstring injury but has since managed to return to practice as a limited participant, and it looks like the Saints expect him to be back on the field Sunday. The rookie first-round pick's status will be made official prior to Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Status in question for Sunday
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Olave (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest at Philadelphia, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
One week removed from not practicing before the Saints ruled him out for Week 16 action at Cleveland, Olave was able to muster three limited sessions this Wednesday through Friday as he continues to work through a hamstring issue. With a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday, his status will become known before the early slate of games. If New Orleans includes Olave on its inactive list, the team will rely on Rashid Shaheed, Tre'Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway and Kirk Merritt at wide receiver.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Remains limited Thursday
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Olave (hamstring) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday.
With back-to-back capped sessions under his belt to begin Week 17 prep, Olave is in a better spot than a week ago, when he didn't practice at all before he was sidelined this past Saturday at Cleveland with a hamstring issue. It remains to be seen if he'll enter this weekend with a designation for Sunday's game in Philadelphia, something that will become known once the Saints release their final injury report of the week Friday.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Officially limited Wednesday
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Olave (hamstring) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday.
Prior to being inactive this past Saturday in Cleveland due to a hamstring issue, Olave was held out of all drills throughout last week, so his return to the field in any capacity Wednesday is a step in the right direction as the Saints prepare for Sunday's game at Philadelphia. He'll aim to increase his activity level in the coming days, with Friday's practice report indicating whether or not he enters the weekend with a designation.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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There's little reason to fear the matchup, but there's a lot to worry about with the wind. If the forecast is accurate, no one will be able to control how the football moves once it gets in the air and/or thrown downfield. That all but eliminates Olave as a deep threat. He would then have to rack up modest PPR numbers on volume, and he doesn't often get the chance to do that. The big-play threat who hasn't made many big plays lately should be benched for the likes of Darius Slayton, Jahan Dotson and Brandon Aiyuk.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Sidelined for Week 16
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Olave (hamstring) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Browns, Terrin Waack of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
New Orleans will have to get by without two of its starting receivers in Week 16, as neither Olave nor Jarvis Landry (ankle) will be available after both weren't able to practice Friday in any fashion. With the star rookie sidelined and the veteran slot man sitting out, the Saints are left with Rashid Shaheed, Tre'Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway as their likely starting receiver trio.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Not seen at practice Wednesday
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Olave (hamstring) wasn't spotted at Wednesday's practice, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Olave may be trending toward a second consecutive absence from on-field work as he deals with a hamstring issue, which would give him just one more chance to mix into drills during Week 16 prep. Wednesday's injury report will reveal whether or not he's listed as a non-participant or limited participant in practice.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Dealing with hamstring issue
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Olave was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's estimated practice report due to a hamstring injury.
Aside from sitting out Week 6 with a concussion, Olave has been a model of health during his rookie season en route to 63 catches on 102 targets for 940 yards and three touchdowns in 13 appearances. Now with a new injury, he'll have two more sessions to get back on the field and prove his fitness for Saturday's game in Cleveland.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Moderate outing in rush-heavy win
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Olave had three receptions (on four targets) for 53 yards during Sunday's 21-18 victory over Atlanta.
Olave logged one his more pedestrian stat lines of the season, as he matched his season low for receptions in a game. However, the rookie wideout still tied Rashid Shaheed for the Saints' second-most targets behind tight end Juwan Johnson (six). Olave also posted at least one reception of 20 or more yards for the ninth time in 13 games this season. The No. 1 wideout should continue to serve a prominent role in New Orleans' limited passing offense against Cleveland in Week 16.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Top target in loss
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Olave reeled in four of six targets for 65 yards during Monday's 17-16 loss to the Buccaneers.
Olave once again paced the Saints in targets. However, the rookie finished as the team's second-leading receiver behind Rashid Shaheed, who posted a career-high 75 yards. Olave also made an uncharacteristic drop on third down that would have given New Orleans' offense an additional red-zone opportunity late in the second quarter. The 2022 first-round pick has been one of the most consistent offensive players for the Saints this year, and following their Week 14 bye, he should have a chance to post a better stat line against Atlanta's 26th-ranked pass defense.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Hauls in 53-yard touchdown
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Olave caught five of six targets for 102 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 27-20 victory versus the Rams.
Olave led the Saints in receptions and receiving yards with the team's pass-catching corps at full strength outside of Deonte Harty (foot) and Michael Thomas (toe), who are both out on IR. After catching his lone target of the first half for 12 yards, the first-round rookie logged three receptions of 14 yards or more in the second half. Olave also reeled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton in the third quarter, marking the wideout's longest reception of the season. This game represents a resurgent performance for Dalton and the entire New Orleans' passing offense, though it could be tough replicating these results next week against the 49ers.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Overcomes poor Dalton performance
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Olave recorded six receptions on nine targets for 71 yards in Monday's 27-13 loss to the Ravens.
Olave caught a pass on the first play from scrimmage for a gain of 15 yards. It took until there were 25 seconds remaining in the second quarter for him to catch his next pass, but he picked up the pace in the final two quarters as the Saints tried to recover from a significant deficit. As a result, Olave was able to surpass 70 receiving yards for the fourth time in his first eight games in the NFL. He was also the only Saints receiver to surpass 50 receiving yards or three receptions, highlighting his ability to overcome the poor quarterback play of Andy Dalton.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Likely No. 1 wideout rest of season
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Olave appears set to serve as the Saints' top wideout for the rest of the season after head coach Dennis Allen announced Thursday that Michael Thomas (toe) was set to undergo surgery and unlikely to play again in 2022, John Sigler of USA Today reports.
Thomas is heading to injured reserve on account of a dislocated second toe on his right foot, an injury that has prevented the three-time Pro Bowler from playing since Week 3. With Allen noting that the Saints aren't counting on Thomas to return before season's end, Olave should remain locked in for high target counts throughout the second half of the campaign. In the four games in which he's played that Thomas has missed -- the rookie sat out Week 6 with a concussion -- Olave has averaged five receptions for 69.8 yards on 8.5 targets per contest. Jarvis Landry (ankle) has also sat out three of those games and could siphon some looks away from Olave once he returns, but there should be enough targets to go around to keep both wideouts highly involved.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Makes five grabs
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Olave caught five of seven targets for 52 yards in Sunday's 24-0 win over the Raiders.
Olave trailed only tailback Alvin Kamara in all major receiving categories. The rookie has now topped 50 yards through the air in six straight outings, showing impressive consistency despite a fluctuating Saints quarterback position. In Week 9, Olave is slated to make his first Monday night appearance, as New Orleans plays host to Baltimore.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Top DFS Play
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As long as Michael Thomas remains out, I'll view Olave as a top-12 wide receiver and this week he has a very good matchup against the Raiders. He could get a boost from Jameis Winston returning as well. He should be over $7,500 on both sites.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Not listed on injury report
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Olave (concussion) wasn't listed on Monday's estimated injury report, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Olave has cleared the concussion protocol and should be good to go for Week 7. Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle) continue to deal with lingering injuries, so Olave currently is in line to be the Saints' No. 1 wideout against the Cardinals on Thursday. Across five appearances, the rookie first-round pick has caught 25 of 42 targets for 389 yards and two scores.
