New Orleans Saints Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Saints RB Kendre Miller is sidelined with a hamstring injury, HC Dennis Allen said Thursday. Allen wouldn't say whether Miller will be available for Week 1. New Orleans could certainly use him with RB Alvin Kamara serving the first game of his three-game suspension. Jamaal Williams will operate as the lead back in the opener vs. the Titans.

The Saints' trade of K Wil Lutz to Denver leaves Blake Grupe as the starter. Insider Luke Johnson reports that Grupe beat out Lutz for the job in camp. Grupe is an undrafted rookie who spent four seasons at Arkansas State before transferring to Notre Dame last year. He converted 74.3% of his college FGs. Grupe is not a viable fantasy option early in the season.

The Giants have released RB James Robinson, making them the second team to do so this offseason. This likely signals the end of an NFL career for Robinson, who did nothing with the Jets last year after arriving in trade from the Jaguars.

Saints WR Rashid Shaheed returned to individual drills in Thursday's practice, according to insider Nick Underhill. Shaheed had been sidelined since August 5 but is seemingly on track to be available for the season opener. He'll start the year as New Orleans' No. 3 WR behind Chris Olave and Michael Thomas.

Saints TE Juwan Johnson has emerged as one of QB Derek Carr's "most reliable targets," ESPN's Katherine Terrell writes. “I think he’s developed a nice little rapport with Derek,” HC Dennis Allen said. "He seems to be where Derek wants him, when he wants him there. When you do that, you kind of get rewarded and the ball comes your way." Johnson is coming off a breakout 42-508-7 line last year. That TD rate is a near lock to regress, but there's potential for Johnson to improve his catch and yardage totals. He's an intriguing TE2 target in fantasy drafts.

Saints TE Jimmy Graham was arrested on Friday night for suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and resisting, delaying, and obstructing a police officer, TMZ reports. The team has since released a statement claiming that Graham had a "medical episode," believed to be a seizure, which resulted in him becoming disoriented. He was admitted to a hospital after being taken into custody and is now back with the team. We'll see where this goes, but Graham was already a long shot to be a 2023 fantasy factor.

Per Saints beat writer Kat Terrell, coaches “plan to expand” the route tree of WR Rashid Shaheed. The second-year undrafted free agent is currently rehabbing a groin injury, but he should be fine for Week 1. “From the time we got him last year and he got healthy enough to go through practice, we started to see some signs, and each day I've seen him continue to get better,” HC Dennis Allen said. “He's always had great speed, and he's always had the ability to transition at the top of the route, but I think you're seeing some technique things here where he's kind of understanding how to run a route and how to get himself open.” Shaheed should at least supply a few spike weeks for best ball drafters.

Saints RB Kendre Miller (knee) returned to practice on Thursday. He ended up missing just a few days with the knee injury he suffered in the preseason opener. We'll see if the rookie plays in this weekend's exhibition, but he's clearly on track to be ready for Week 1.

Saints offensive weapon Taysom Hill strained his oblique in Tuesday's practice, HC Dennis Allen said. Allen added that the injury isn't believed to be serious. We'll let you know when Hill gets back on the field.

Saints RB Kendre Miller (knee) will travel to Los Angeles with the team for joint practices with the Chargers and has a "chance" to play in Sunday's preseason game, HC Dennis Allen said Tuesday. It's excellent news after Miller went down with a knee injury in the preseason opener. Whether or not he plays in this weekend's game, he's clearly on track to be available for the start of the regular season.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Saints RB Kendre Miller won't need surgery on the right knee he sprained in Sunday's preseason opener. "He'll likely miss a little time, but optimism the third-round pick will be ready Week 1," Pelissero adds. It's good news -- but Miller is still going to miss precious reps after also being limited in the spring. The rookie is unlikely to be a viable early-season fantasy play, even with RB Alvin Kamara suspended for the first three games.

Saints RB Kendre Miller sprained his right knee in Sunday's preseason game against the Chiefs, according to multiple reports. That's the same knee Miller sprained in his final college game. The rookie will have further testing this week to determine the severity. New Orleans had already been looking at adding RBs, so don't be surprised if we see a move this week.

Saints sideline reporter Jeff Nowak says "the Derek Carr-Chris Olave connection has been one of the highlights of camp." He adds that the QB has credited Olave with performing in ways you wouldn't normally see from a second-year wideout. Olave looks like the Saints' lead wideout after an impressive rookie season. The biggest question might be whether he can get enough target volume to support an ADP that has hovered around the Round 2-3 turn. Olave's downfield ability does give him upside beyond where he sits in our WR rankings.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football says Saints RB Alvin Kamara is more explosive in camp than he was last year. That seems a little crazy for a 28-year-old RB heading into his seventh NFL season, but it's not a coincidence. Underhill reports that Kamara "fixed a muscle asymmetry in his legs" with a new trainer this offseason and "learned how to control his heart rate to combat fatigue." We'll be very interested to see the results in action. But if the team and player see more explosiveness, then it should keep Kamara's opportunities up. And other improvements to the offense can only help his efficiency. Now that we know he's suspended for just 3 games, Kamara makes for a high-upside RB3 or RB4 in fantasy football drafts. See where he sits in our RB rankings after adjustments for the suspension.

Saints WRs Rashid Shaheed and Tre'Quan Smith left Saturday's practice early with groin injuries, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football. We'll see about the severity of each issue, but it seems particularly noteworthy for Shaheed. He's not only expected to run ahead of Smith on the depth chart, but Shaheed also missed June minicamp with what was deemed a minor groin injury. Even if this instance also proves minor, we haven't been excited about Shaheed's 2023 fantasy football outlook. He'll need an injury to Chris Olave or Michael Thomas to pull him up our WR rankings.

The NFL is suspending Saints RB Alvin Kamara for the first three games of the regular season over the assault case that stemmed from a February 2022 incident in Las Vegas. This is half the length of the six-game suspension that many have assumed heading into this season. We'll see whether Kamara appeals but wouldn't expect it, with the announcement coming two days after what was reported as a "good" meeting between the RB and commissioner Roger Goodell. Expect Jamaal Williams and rookie Kendre Miller to split work in Kamara's absence, with the veteran likely reclaiming the lead role upon his return. This news moves Kamara up our fantasy football rankings. His per-game upside has made him a solid-to-good value all along at a depressed ADP.

The Saints have agreed to a two-year extension with Edge Cameron Jordan. The deal includes $27.5 million guaranteed, a particularly noteworthy number given that Jordan is already 34. He's coming off significant declines by nearly all measures last season, traditional stats and advanced metrics. This pact says New Orleans believes Jordan will remain a big part of the defense at least through this year, though. With a contract that now runs through 2025, Jordan's presence for 2024 seems like a lock as well. We'll see beyond that. Jordan doesn't sit as high in our IDP rankings as previous years. But he's also likely to go in value range of your drafts.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Wednesday that he expects Saints RB Alvin Kamara to be suspended for his role in a 2022 fight in Las Vegas. Rapoport throws out 2-, 4-, and 6-game suspensions as possibilities -- depending on how Kamara's meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell goes. It's looking like we'll get a resolution to this situation soon.

Saints RB Kendre Miller has "flashed consistently throughout the early phases of camp in all areas of the game," insider Nick Underhill writes. Miller has been especially impressive in the passing game, which will be a key area if RB Alvin Kamara gets suspended. Highlight Miller's name as a high-upside bench stash in your fantasy drafts.

Saints RB Alvin Kamara plans to meet with Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding a potential suspension. "I think Alvin really wants to get out ahead of this and have a chance to visit with Roger and kind of give him his side of the story," HC Dennis Allen said. "And look, at the end of the day, I think part of it is 'let's get some resolution with where we're at and move forward.' I think Alvin is looking forward to putting this behind him and focusing in on what he has to do to be the best he can for our team this season.” Kamara no longer faces felony charges following a recent plea agreement. Still, the veteran RB could earn a short suspension from the league.

Update: ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the meeting will take place Wednesday.