Sleeper fantasy football picks for the Saints in 2026

Fantasy Football season is around the corner, and if you’re a fantasy head like me, you have already begun plotting your picks for the 2026 NFL season.

As a New Orleans Saints fan, you also have probably started looking into which players from the black-and-gold could contribute to your team in the later rounds, and we have some good news: you’ll likely have some. Nearly all Saints offensive starters are down-the-board picks and could be big contributors in Week 1.

We will be basing all of our rankings on FantasyPro’s latest rankings.

This list probably can’t exist without Tyler Shough. And I get it, he’s a second-year quarterback who isn’t fully proven. But are we really going to ignore the fact that Shough averaged 20 points per game from Week 10 and beyond and finished as QB5 from Weeks 13-18?

Yes, these are just small sample sizes, but the value for Shough at QB19 and 120th overall is high. With the new additions to the New Orleans offense, a second-year in Kellen Moore’s system, and an offense molded around his skill sets, Shough could be a major steal in 2026.

Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is being valued at WR37 and the 89th player overall. The 8th overall pick is a risky selection in fantasy this year, as he was for the Saints in the draft. The injury concerns are real, and he has been limited throughout OTAs.

But there’s a reason New Orleans bet on the Arizona State wideout: his top-end talent was unmatched by the rest of the 2026 wide receiver class, and he possesses all the talent to be one of the league’s premier pass catchers. While not the focal point of the Saints’ offense, with Chris Olave set to have an explosive season in 2026, I’m confident Tyson will finish the season better than WR37, on the basis that he’s healthy enough to play the majority of the season.

The Saints paid big money for running back Travis Etienne in free agency, then turned around and spent more big money to fix the offensive line. One thing’s clear for New Orleans: they want to run the ball in 2026. While there has been discourse on whether Alvin Kamara will remain on the roster during the upcoming season, his availability won’t hinder a potential big season for Etienne.

The former Jacksonville Jaguars running back is being valued at RB17, the bottom half of the league. But when the Saints paid Etienne, they made him a top-10 highest-paid running back in the league, showing their intention to give him a heavy workload and give him the tools to match the production.

Analysts have the right to fear drafting a Saints running back. New Orleans didn’t have a productive rusher last season, and there may be fear that Kamara will take snaps away. But Kamara is more of a complementary back to Etienne, who produced 1,107 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground last year, while Kamara could continue his impact as a receiver.

I have been somewhat of a Juwan Johnson truther over the last few seasons, but after his 2025 campaign, I get to say “I told you so.” Johnson put together 77 receptions last season, adding 889 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. While he didn’t find the endzone as much as I would’ve liked, he was still a major contributor and was the team’s second leading receiver.

When Johnson signed his three-year $30 million deal with the Saints, it came after a long conversation with Coach Moore as a free agent. The agreement made it clear New Orleans valued Johnson, and the veteran tight end would be involved in the offense.

While the Saints’ offense has transformed since last season, his finish as TE8 in PPR leagues is too good to overlook, and an improved offense will hopefully mean more red zone attempts for the 6-foot-4 pass catcher.