Olave once again is in line to serve as the focal point of New Orleans' passing attack after the team added just one wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Bub Means at No. 170 overall. Olave is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career. The 2022 first-round pick has provided much-needed juice to an otherwise stale Saints offense. In fact, he's the only receiver to put up more than 720 yards in either of the past two seasons, as the team relied largely on aging veterans like Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry to buoy the passing game. New Orleans then moved on from Landry during the 2023 offseason before cutting Thomas in March. Meanwhile, the team went cheap with its additions at the position, signing free agents Cedrick Wilson and Equanimeous St. Brown and waiting until the fifth round to draft Means. As a result, the Saints will more than likely enter the 2024 campaign with three pass catchers who have recorded more than 500 yards in a single season: Olave, No.2 wide receiver Rashid Shaheed and tight end Juwan Johnson. A.T. Perry, a 2023 sixth-round pick, will likely round out this receiving room, which Olave should clearly lead this season.
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Olave once again is in line to serve as the focal point of New Orleans' passing attack after the team added just one wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Bub Means at No. 170 overall. Olave is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career. The 2022 first-round pick has provided much-needed juice to an otherwise stale Saints offense. In fact, he's the only receiver to put up more than 720 yards in either of the past two seasons, as the team relied largely on aging veterans like Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry to buoy the passing game. New Orleans then moved on from Landry during the 2023 offseason before cutting Thomas in March. Meanwhile, the team went cheap with its additions at the position, signing free agents Cedrick Wilson and Equanimeous St. Brown and waiting until the fifth round to draft Means. As a result, the Saints will more than likely enter the 2024 campaign with three pass catchers who have recorded more than 500 yards in a single season: Olave, No.2 wide receiver Rashid Shaheed and tight end Juwan Johnson. A.T. Perry, a 2023 sixth-round pick, will likely round out this receiving room, which Olave should clearly lead this season.
Olave has one step to pass before he'll gain clearance for game action, but it's the all-important evaluation from an independent neurologist. On a positive note, he's been able to practice all week, so he seems to be trending in a positive direction ahead of the weekend. Fellow wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (groin) hasn't mixed into drills at all this week, so the Saints' current healthy options at wide receiver on the active roster are A.T. Perry, Lynn Bowden and Keith Kirkwood.
Olave departed this past Sunday's loss in Atlanta with a concussion, but prior to the injury he torched the Falcons defense to the tune of seven catches (on nine targets) for 114 yards. Wednesday's injury report will reveal how much work Olave was able to handle in the Saints' first Week 13 session.
Olave was on his way to a big day before departing with the concussion, as he racked up seven catches for 114 yards on nine targets. With Michael Thomas (knee) having been placed on injured reserve prior to the contest and Rashid Shaheed (thigh) uncertain to return to the game, the Saints are left with A.T. Perry, Lynn Bowden and Keith Kirkwood as their healthy receivers. Olave will now work to clear the five-step concussion protocol ahead of the Saints' Week 13 game against the Lions on Dec. 3.
Olave wasn't targeted in the first half but came alive in the final two quarters, particularly with Jameis Winston under center. Five of his six catches came on targets from Winston, including long gains of 26, 20 and 17 yards. However, the highlight of Olave's performance came midway through the third quarter when he out-jumped Byron Murphy and tapped his toes in the corner of the end zone to record his third touchdown of the season. His 94 yards also marked his highest total in a game since Week 6.
Olave scored from eight yards out to tie the score at a touchdown apiece in the first quarter. In addition to catching his second touchdown of 2023, Olave finished with team-high totals in targets, catches and receiving yards while teammate Michael Thomas went without a catch on just one target. Heading into a Week 10 road game in Minnesota, Olave has caught 50 of 85 targets for 563 yards and two touchdowns, putting the 2022 first-round draft pick on pace for a second consecutive 1,000-yard season.
Olave didn't pop off the stat sheet in this season-best scoring performance for the Saints offense. The 2022 first-round pick paced the team in targets for the third week in a row, as he's accumulated 34 targets over this span. However, Olave has only accumulated 199 receiving yards in the sample, as he and quarterback Derek Carr have continually struggled to connect on deep passes over the last few weeks. The 23-year-old wideout's consistency in the short-to-intermediate passing game provides a solid floor for his fantasy production, but, with just one touchdown on 44 receptions this season, he'll likely need to start reeling in more deep balls in order to hit his ceiling in fantasy. Otherwise, Olave and 30-year-old wideout Michael Thomas will likely continue to cut into one another's fantasy production moving forward.