New Orleans Saints

Audric Estime

RB

It's unclear when Estime suffered the thigh injury, but he didn't practice at all this week after leading the Saints in rushing in the preseason finale two weeks ago. If Alvin Kamara (knee) is unable to go against Detroit, Kendre Miller would serve as the RB2 behind Travis Etienne.

Oscar Delp

TE

Delp didn't practice at all this week after initially suffering the injury last month. The third-round rookie will have to wait to make his regular-season debut. Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant will handle tight-end duties for New Orleans.

Alvin Kamara

RB

Kamara suffered an MCL sprain during a joint practice with the Cowboys on Aug. 18 that initially was slated to sideline him for at least one month. While Kamara was able to practice in a limited capacity during Week 1 prep, his status for Sunday seemingly will come down to a game-time decision. If Kamara is inhibited or sidelined this weekend, Kendre Miller would be the Saints running back to receive complementary work behind starter Travis Etienne.

John Ridgeway III

DT

Ridgeway sustained a foot injury during a practice in August, but it's no longer a concern with Week 1 officially underway. With veteran Cameron Jordan (hamstring) out, Ridgeway could be in line for a more significant role on the defensive line than he's accustomed to Sunday.

Chris Rumph II

DE

Rumph nursed an issue with his ankle back in August, but he's back up to full speed ahead of Week 1 of the regular season. He played the majority of his snaps on special teams in 2025.

Quincy Riley

CB

Riley exited practice on Aug. 18 due to a groin injury. The cornerback has been sidelined since the incident but is now back in action. Riley should be all set to start at outside cornerback in Sunday's Week 1 contest against the Lions.

Pete Werner

LB

Werner spent most of August dealing with a groin injury he sustained in a training camp practice. The linebacker has fully recovered from the issue and is all set to practice in full as the Saints prepare for a Week 1 clash with the Lions.

Cameron Jordan

DE

The update doesn't come as a huge surprise, as it was anticipated Jordan could miss part of the regular season due to the hamstring injury he sustained during a practice back in early August. In his stead, 2025 third-rounder Vernon Broughton could get a start on the defensive line in Week 1.

Kendre Miller

RB

Miller was dealing with an unknown issue, but the running back's presence in practice indicates he has recovered. The 24-year-old is set to be the No. 2 option behind Travis Etienne for the Saints' Week 1 matchup with the Lions.

Lorenzo Styles Jr.

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Dillon Radunz

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Chris Olave

WR

Olave missed time at the end of the offseason program due to a blood clot, and while he opened training camp as a full participant and agreed to a four-year extension worth up to $132 million on July 30, he exited three different practices for various reasons in August. Nevertheless, he appears to be entering the season in good health and ready to build upon a career-best 2025 regular season in which he posted a 100-1,163-9 line on 155 targets in 16 games.

Juwan Johnson

TE

Johnson is locked in atop the depth chart at tight end for New Orleans, and with Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) set to miss at least the first four games of the season and no clear WR2 on the roster, Johnson could have a significant pass-catching role out of the gates. Tyler Shough has already predicted a big season for his former college teammate after Johnson was fantasy's overall TE5 in yards per game and TE8 in catches per game following last season's Rashid Shaheed trade ahead of Week 10. Turning 30 years old Sept. 13, Johnson is coming off a 77-889-3 campaign on 102 targets last season.

Travis Etienne Jr.

RB

Etienne was one of the few Saints running backs to avoid any sort of injury scare or setback during training camp. Ty Chandler (knee) is out for the season after landing on injured reserve, and Alvin Kamara (knee) appears to be trending toward sitting out Week 1. Additionally, Kendre Miller sustained a minor undisclosed injury during practice Tuesday and is day-to-day, while Audric Estime is healthy but missed time in camp due to an ankle issue. After signing a four-year, $52 million deal in March, Etienne had already looked poised to handle a sizable workload for New Orleans both as a lead runner and pass catcher, and the current condition of his backups following camp and the preseason adds further fuel to the notion that he'll be in line for heavy volume right of the gate.

Tyler Shough

QB

Though he didn't play at all in the preseason while the Saints instead opened up more reps for backups Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson, Shough reportedly looked sharp throughout training camp while keeping the New Orleans offense productive. Shough was able to close out camp on a high note by tossing three touchdown passes during 11-on-11 sessions, and Shough would have had two more had Devaughn Vele secured a one-handed catch in the end zone and had Chris Olave not fumbled near the goal line on another play. New Orleans will be without one of its key playmakers to begin the season in rookie first-round wideout Jordyn Tyson (hamstring), but Shough appeared to build good chemistry with new starting running back Travis Etienne, who was a frequent target of the quarterback during camp practices.

Jaylan Ford

LB

Ford had a strong preseason with 15 tackles and an interception over three games but appears to have picked up an injury along the way. He'll need to sit out at least the first four games of the regular season, but the designation to return means he could be activated as soon as Week 5 against Minnesota.

David Long Jr.

CB

Long was previously on the Giants' IR but reached an injury settlement in mid-August and subsequently signed with New Orleans. He logged four tackles in his lone preseason appearance but is now sidelined with an undisclosed issue. Long will need to miss the entire campaign while on injured reserve unless he reaches an injury settlement with the Saints.

Colby Wooden

DT

Wooden will head to New Orleans after being waived by Indianapolis. The 2023 fourth-rounder spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Packers, finishing the 2025 regular season with 50 tackles (26 solo) and one pass defense across 17 games (16 starts). Cameron Jordan's status for Week 1 against the Lions is up in the air due to a hamstring issue, and with Bryan Bresee (knee) on injured reserve, Wooden figures to see plenty of snaps in a starting role in 2026.

Mason Tipton

WR

Tipton underwent tibia surgery in the offseason, and as a result, he opened training camp on the active/PUP list, ultimately failing to play during the preseason. The wide receiver will now be forced to miss at least four contests to open the regular season, and the earliest he'd be able to return to action is Week 5 versus the Vikings on Oct. 11.

Jordyn Tyson

WR

Tyson has had recurring issues with his right hamstring, and the most recent flare-up is expected to result in two months on the sideline, so Sunday's transaction comes as no surprise. He'll be required to miss at least the first four games of the season, but considering the aforementioned recovery timeline, he likely will be out beyond Week 5. During Tyson's absence, Devaughn Vele and rookies Bryce Lance and Barion Brown will have opportunities for targets behind top WR Chris Olave.

Daniel Carlson

PK

Carlson was the last one to enter New Orleans' three-man competition but also is the last man standing. After signing with the Saints on Monday, Carlson has made the 53-man roster, while Tanner Brown and Charlie Smyth have both been cut. Carlson converted only 22 of 27 field-goal attempts (81.5 percent) for the Raiders in the 2025 regular season, but he has a career conversion rate of 86.9 percent.

Spencer Rattler

QB

Rattler had an uneven first two NFL campaigns, making 14 starts in 16 regular-season contests and completing 62.7 percent of his pass attempts for 2,903 yards with a 12:10 TD:INT. He began last year as New Orleans' No. 1 QB but gave way to Tyler Shough after the team compiled a 1-7 record across its first eight games. Shough ran away with the job and is entering the upcoming campaign with a strong hold on top signal-caller role, which theoretically could make Rattler expendable. However, it appears the Saints want to keep Rattler as an insurance policy behind Shough, as Rattler would be in a good position to take over at QB if needed given his extensive opportunities over the past two years. Rattler's fantasy value in redraft leagues is almost non-existent given his backup role, and even if Shough were to go down with an injury, Rattler likely wouldn't be a hot pickup in most formats given his inconsistent play in the NFL so far.

Barion Brown

WR

Brown wasn't targeted in the preseason finale but still left his mark on the game with a seven-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. The rookie sixth-round pick out of LSU reportedly stood out in training camp, and he has built on that success with a strong preseason. Rookie first-round pick Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) is expected to miss about two months, so the door is open for Brown to take on a sizable role out of the gate behind Chris Olave in a Saints WR room that also includes Devaughn Vele and Bryce Lance.

Bryce Lance

WR

Lance was drafted in the fourth round out of North Dakota State, but he has been outperformed by sixth-round pick Barion Brown throughout training camp and the preseason. Brown upstaged Lance again Friday by scoring a seven-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Both rookie Day 3 picks have a chance to contribute out of the gate, as rookie first-round pick Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) is expected to miss about two months, leaving Lance, Brown and Devaughn Vele as the top options behind Chris Olave.

Zach Wilson

QB

Wilson played the second half of Friday's preseason finale after Spencer Rattler played the first half. Rattler started two of the Saints' three preseason games and looks like the favorite to win the backup job behind Tyler Shough. Wilson had 14 more passing yards than Rattler on Friday and neither one threw a touchdown pass, but Rattler scored an eight-yard rushing TD.