Star New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave has had an excellent four-week run. Since Week 9, he has not finished outside the top 20 and has two finishes in the top 10. Currently, he is the WR18 and has 890 yards receiving and three TDs. Olave hasn’t been able to shine as much as fantasy football managers were hoping for, with QB Derek Carr focusing more on shorter dump-offs to Alvin Kamara than long bombs down the field.
The season has not been easy for Olave either, injury-wise. He left the Week 12 game against Atlanta due to a concussion, and it was uncertain if he would even be available to play in Week 13 against Detroit. He did manage to pass the protocol and took the field against the Lions, catching five of his eight targets for 119 yards.
Is Chris Olave Going To Play Week 14?
Olave seems to have moved past his concussion, but it was reported this week that he might have the flu. He showed up on the injury report on Thursday and did not practice again on Friday.
He is listed as questionable, and it is certainly a situation that must be monitored. The flu is a tough one, and if the muscle fatigue and tiredness are real, we might see Olave on the sideline.
The good thing is that an illness is not like an ankle or hamstring injury that will need to be tested out pregame in the warmup. Fantasy managers should know with plenty of time whether Olave will be available to take the field against the Carolina Panthers.
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The matchup is not as easy as it looks — the Panthers have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to WRs, and with Derek Carr hurting, this could be a tough week for the Saints’ receiving corps.
Carr cleared concussion protocol on Friday but is also dealing with a rib and a shoulder issue. He looks like he will start. If he doesn’t, Jameis Winston will start, which actually would be good news for Olave. Olave is WR14 in PFN’s consensus rankings this week, and it seems he will be well enough to take the field on Sunday.
With the majority of games being impacted by bad weather this week, this game is in a dome, and I will be starting Olave if he is active, no matter which QB is under center.
Potential Fantasy Options If Olave Is Out Include A.T. Perry and Alvin Kamara
If Olave is sidelined, the Saints will have to piecemeal reinforcements, with the majority of their offense battling some form of injury. Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, and Taysom Hill are all dealing with different levels of injuries and could be limited or out altogether.
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A.T. Perry is healthy and could get an uptick in targets; Alvin Kamara could be the biggest winner this week and is a fantastic start.
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