The New Orleans Saints have been one of the toughest teams to pinpoint in fantasy football throughout the 2023 NFL season. If there is one player who embodies the Saints’ inconsistency, it would be WR Chris Olave. Despite him being a very talented player, is Olave truly a player that needs to be in your fantasy starting lineup in Week 9?
Let’s take a closer look.
Chris Olave’s Week 9 Outlook
We’ll start by assessing the Saints’ upcoming matchup against the Chicago Bears to fully examine Olave’s starting status in Week 9. Here are some of the pertinent stats for the Bears against opposing passing attacks in 2023.
Chicago Bears Pass Defense Statistics
- Opponent Passing Yards Per Game: 262 (30th)
- Opponent Points Per Game: 27.3 (28th)
- Fantasy Points Allowed Per Game to WRs: 29.3 (19th)
Chicago’s defense has also struggled to pressure the other team’s quarterback, which has prompted the organization to trade for Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders.
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Olave will face a challenge against CB Jaylon Johnson — who requested a trade from the team before the trade deadline — but certainly still could see plenty of success against this defensive unit as the numbers bear out.
The problem with Olave in 2023 is his apparent lack of chemistry with starting quarterback Derek Carr. Olave and Carr got off to a great start through the first three games of the season, where Olave was averaging 10 targets per game and scored 14+ PPR fantasy points each week.
Unfortunately, once Alvin Kamara returned from his suspension, Olave’s numbers took a dramatic hit in nearly every category. His targets, receptions, and receiving yards have all dropped on a per-game basis, with Carr having an elite receiving option out of the backfield.
Sure, over the last three games, Olave has seen a minimum of nine targets, but it has only generated one game above 60 yards receiving — and no scores. I don’t see the Saints trailing to the Bears in this contest if Chicago quarterback Justin Fields is unavailable, so the game script doesn’t seem too favorable either.
I have Olave just inside my top 24 at the WR position, which puts him in the low-end WR2 category against the Bears. Thus, he’s definitely a starting option but is a bit more roster-specific and doesn’t fall into the must-start category.
Should You Start Olave?
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Should You Start Olave or Zay Flowers?
These are two players who have similar skill sets and have seen comparable volume and production this season. Flowers hasn’t had the big spike weeks Olave has, but his floor has been a bit higher because of his role in the Baltimore Ravens offense.
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It is close, but I could see the matchup with the Seattle Seahawks being a bit higher scoring with more opportunities for Flowers to produce.
Should You Start Olave or Nico Collins?
Nico Collins got off to a fantastic start this year but has cooled off a bit since C.J. Stroud hit a bit of a rookie wall.
Collins’ matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is in the same range as Olave’s matchup, given the Bucs’ tendency to give up big performances to opposing WRs. Even so, I still think Olave is the better play this week. Carr is set to play a below-average defense as opposed to Stroud facing off against Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay defense.
Should You Start Olave or Adam Thielen?
Olave’s inconsistencies make it tough to justify starting him over Adam Thielen right now. Thielen has one of the highest floors at the WR position, which is evident by the fact he has more receptions, receiving yards, and TDs than Olave … while playing one fewer game this season. I’m rolling with Thielen until Olave starts scratching the surface of his sky-high fantasy ceiling on a more frequent basis.
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