Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 8th, 2024, 1:00 PM ET
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Network: FOX
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Bryce Young: Sit, QB3
Young has a chance to improve this year, but in Week 1, you should not gamble on that step with the other options available at Quarterback.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: FLEX Option
Hubbard has the potential to contribute early in the season with Jonathon Brooks out for the first four games, but Week 1 does not look like the best opportunity. The Saints have a solid run defense, and while Hubbard may get the volume, the efficiency is not likely to be there if Brooks is slow to return. Weeks 4, 5, and 6 look to be prime spots for Hubbard.
Wide Receiver
Diontae Johnson: Start, WR3/FLEX
Johnson should be one of, if not the only, fantasy-friendly option for the Panthers in Week 1. An elite separator, Johnson should be able to find space against the Saints, and in full PPR, you can happily have him fill in as your WR3 or FLEX.
Tight End
Sit All
The Panthers don’t have many viable options in terms of pass-catchers for fantasy managers to get excited about, and Tight End is way off the radar in Carolina.
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Derek Carr: Sit, QB3
Carr is on the opposite end of his career compared to Bryce Young, but his production is just as ugly. Carr is a low-upside option, even in a relatively easy matchup. With no rushing and a lessening ability to push the ball downfield, Carr is a massive avoid for fantasy football.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: Start, RB1
Kamara has seen his efficiency dip each of the last two seasons, and while that is likely to continue, he is one of the very few options for the Saints on offense. The Panthers are one of the worst teams in the NFL, so Kamara should be heading towards around 15 carries and six targets in Week 1, setting him up for a productive outing.
Wide Receiver
Chris Olave: Start, WR2
Rashid Shaheed: Sit
There aren’t too many wide receivers on fantasy rosters from the Saints roster; in 12-person leagues, it should only be Olave. Olave will garner a lot of attention from the defense, but there isn’t much the Panthers can do to stop him. Olave is the souped-up version of Diontae Johnson, and while he will be limited by Carr, you can rely on him to be a high-end WR2 in Week 1. Meanwhile, while Rashid Shaheed showed flashes with his downfield ability last season, we can’t rely on production from him with Carr throwing the ball. He’s a “wait and see” option for now with so many other more reliable options at the position.
Tight End
Taysom Hill: Start, TE1
Taysom Hill, we meet again. Somehow, someway, Hill continues to find a way to be relevant. In Klint Kubiak’s new system, Hill could find himself as the goal-line running back, the WR2, and the TE1 for the Saints while also throwing in the occasional Red Zone Quarterback appearance. It won’t always be predictable, and it won’t always be pretty, but he should be in the top 15 TEs nearly every week. In Week 1, he lands as my TE10 in a great matchup. The Saints should be able to move the ball against the Panthers, and I would not be surprised to see Hill explode onto the scene in Week 1. At the very least, you should add him to the end of your bench and save yourself the FAAB.
Will Dustin be back to this column this season? I love his creative ways of insulting poor performances.