Welcome to the ninth part of a thirty-two-part series: Reading the NFL Offseason Tea Leaves. Fantasy football tasseography is deeply rooted in predicting future fantasy fortunes. Some of the team tea cups we'll be looking into may be larger than others. The smallest of cups may have the most alluring blends of offensive weaponry, or be set to bloom after a long steep. This series will aid in your approach to Redraft and Dynasty leagues by bringing you up to date on:

• Free Agency
  • Re-signings, additions, who signed elsewhere, and what it means for fantasy.
• NFL Draft
  • What can we decipher about the direction a team is headed in based on their draft selections?
• Coaching Changes
  • Who's in, who's out, and how do the coaching philosophies translate to fantasy production?
• Fantasy Fortunes
  • What does this all mean for your fantasy football drafts?

Like tasseography, the arrangement of these four sections will vary as we digest each team's offseasons and see how the offensive pieces settle. Each article will interpret what the NFL team has told us about its future plans based on what it's done since its 2025 season ended.

Reading the New Orleans Saints' 2026 Offseason

Free Agency: Travis Etienne Is The New RB1

Head Coach Kellen Moore has made the team's fantasy players exciting to buy into. Travis Etienne (pronounced "Achane") signed a 4-year, $48M contract with the Saints on Day One of free agency. That is starting RB money, but he is likely to split touches with Alvin Kamara in the offense this year.

Draft Day Additions: WR Jordyn Tyson & TE Oscar Delp

The team turned around and drafted WR Jordyn Tyson with the 8th pick and TE Oscar Delp late on Day Two. This gives second-year QB Tyler Shough and the offense serious firepower heading into 2026.

Jordyn Tyson is a special mover, meaning his body mechanics allow him to change direction quickly and become a threat for Yards After the Catch (YAC). Some analysts had him as the WR1 of this draft class. Personally, I'm slightly worried about his movement style, as it may cause additional wear and tear on his body, but I can't knock his talent and had him as my WR3 of the class. He landed in a perfect situation to produce fantasy points early in his career.

Oscar Delp might not have had the stats that get fantasy managers excited, but it was more about his QB situation than his talent. At his Pro Day, he ran a 4.48 forty-yard dash at 6'5" and 245lbs. He appears to have recovered from the hairline fracture in his foot and will take over TE1 responsibilities when Juwan Johnson's contract ends at the end of the season.

Coaching Stability & Offensive Line Changes

The coaching staff did not change in New Orleans. Expect development from the team as new wrinkles of the playbook are learned and executed at a higher level in 2026. The offensive line, if healthy last year, would have been a solid unit. Losing Center Erik McCoy to an injury last year was a huge blow to the offense, and we saw Shough and the RBs struggle in real-life football as a result.

Fantasy Fortunes

Tyler Shough might be undervalued going into 2026. This offense has enough weapons to sustain a QB2 with weekly QB1 upside, an RB2 and RB3-4, and two WR2s with weekly WR1 upside. Etienne and Kamara will complement each other.

Olave is the best route runner in this group, with Tyson being the best after the catch. Olave may see a regression in his target share, but he is talented enough to potentially bless fantasy managers with a WR1 season if he stays healthy. 

Draft Oscar Delp in dynasty and stash him on your taxi for a year, as Juwan Johnson's contract is up at the end of next season and Delp will have the TE1 role secured. Barion Brown is likely the KR/PR specialist if you play in leagues that reward return yardage points.

Cam White is a Senior Analyst & Host at Optimus Fantasy. You can find more of his work on our YouTube channel, and make sure to follow him on Bluesky.