Saints @ Panthers
Final Score: Saints 17, Panthers 7
Writer: Christian Otteman (@COttemanPL on Twitter)
The scrappy and trending Carolina Panthers played host to the struggling New Orleans Saints and showed us the cardinal rule that truly anything can happen in a divisional game. Tyler Shough showed some marked improvements in his second game as the Saints’ full-time starter, while on the other side of the ball, Bryce Young struggled to get anything going for the home team. A game that was largely a struggle offensively on both sides ended with the Saints holding on to a lead for most of the second half and cruising to a 17-7 win. Fans of both teams are likely not thrilled with the result.
Three Up
- Tyler Shough – No turnovers, two scores, and nearly 300 yards of passing for the rookie in his second start.
- Chris Olave – Over 100 yards and a score in the first game without Rashid Shaheed.
- Juwan Johnson – May be the team’s #2 option in the Shaheedless offense.
Two Down
- Chuba Hubbard – A near-nonexistent role for Hubbard once again in this one. It’s Rico Dowdle‘s backfield.
- Bryce Young – Simply no ability to move the ball or the offense down the field.
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Tyler Shough: 19/27, 282 Yards, 2 TD | 4 Carries, -3 Yards
After getting demolished by the Rams in his first career start, Tyler Shough showed marked improvements in this divisional matchup on the road. Most importantly, Shough took care of the ball and didn’t make any mistakes by turning the ball over and kept the Saints in control of this matchup. One of his most impressive plays came when he shook off some defenders and hit Juwan Johnson on third and long for a huge gain that eventually set up a field goal for the team. Shough isn’t anywhere near startable status yet, especially with a bye week and matchup against the Falcons up next, but there’s at least optimism that he can do more than Spencer Rattler.
through the pressure to Juwan for 52 yards ➡️
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/FUILT1jqVS
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 9, 2025
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: 22 Carries, 83 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 32 Yards
Hey, that’s a game with over 100 yards from scrimmage for the first time since Week 2 against the 49ers! Alvin Kamara was able to find more volume in this one, thanks to the Saints controlling the lead for most of the second half, but the ways the Saints are using him still aren’t extremely encouraging. Head coach Kellen Moore seems insistent on trying to run Kamara up the middle when he’s shown to be most effective getting the ball in space and using his agility to get around defenders. More passing-game usage would be nice, but it doesn’t seem like we’re going to get that this season. Heading into the team’s bye week, now is a good time to try and sell Kamara if you can find a buyer.
Devin Neal: 4 Carries, 22 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 9 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Chris Olave: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 104 Yards, TD
Unsurprisingly, Chris Olave remained the team’s top receiver in the post-Rashid Shaheed era for New Orleans. Olave’s stat line is impressive, but it’s worth mentioning that a majority of his production came on a play where the defender fell just before Olave caught the ball and took it to the house. Olave also made an insane one-handed grab later in the contest to put the cherry on top of a productive day at the office. His floor might not be as stable, as he isn’t getting peppered with Rattler targets, but he should be a reliable WR2 with Shough at the helm moving forward.
CHRIS OLAVE 62 YARDS
NOvsCAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/e9BXTPaXQb
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025
Juwan Johnson: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 92 Yards, TD
With Rashid Shaheed taking his talents to Seattle, the door may be open for Juwan Johnson to reclaim his early-season TE1 status. Johnson was the recipient of Shough’s scrambling deep ball mentioned earlier, and he also caught his QB’s second touchdown pass of the day to put the Saints up multiple scores. Johnson has scored in both Shough starts and should maintain a sizeable piece of the Saints’ passing game pie moving forward, making him a weekly TE1 option after the Week 11 bye.
Taysom Hill: 1 Target, 0 Receptions | 0/1 Passing | 7 Carries, 20 Yards
Taysom Hill saw a season-high in snaps with 25, but didn’t do much with his chances. He’s worth watching in future weeks to see if his usage continues to trend up. He’ll inevitably have a game or two where he scores in some capacity, but he’s too risky to start as your “tight end” right now.
Foster Moreau: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
Devaughn Vele: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 15 Yards
Zaire Mitchell-Paden: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Not much to note for this group aside from Devaughn Vele leading the team in snaps and routes run. The increased snap share didn’t lead to fantasy production this week, but there’s a decent chance his role will increase with Shaheed gone. Keep an eye on his usage after the Saints’ Week 11 bye.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Bryce Young: 17/25, 124 Yards, INT | 2 Carries, 6 Yards, Fumble (LOST)
Sigh. Bryce Young wasn’t able to manage even five yards per attempt in this contest against a Saints team that came into the game with a single tally in the win column. Young had two poorly-timed turnovers in the second half: a fumble in the third and an interception in the fourth that kept the Panthers from having a chance to keep pace with the Saints’ offensive onslaught of 17 points. Young looks outmatched and outclassed more often than not when he’s under center, making him an ill-advised option for all fantasy teams.
Running Back
Rico Dowdle: 18 Carries, 53 Yards, TD | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 10 Yards
Another day, another trip to the end zone for Rico Dowdle, who continues to dominate the workload in Carolina’s backfield. Though he was inefficient with his carries (2.9 yards per carry), he handled a huge portion of the touches, following through on the language we’ve seen from Dave Canales. Dowdle should still be considered an RB2 moving forward, but be sure to monitor if Chuba Hubbard can earn more touches in future weeks.
Chuba Hubbard: 3 Carries, 14 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Yikes. There isn’t much to say about Chuba Hubbard, mostly because he was hardly on the field. Playing only 11 snaps to Dowdle’s 42, Hubbard is an afterthought in the Panthers’ offense and on our fantasy teams.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tetairoa McMillan: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 60 Yards
Like everyone else in this passing offense, it’s a shame that Tetairoa McMillan is catching balls from Young. He has the size, strength, and athleticism to be a special player in this league, but he just isn’t being put in a place to succeed. McMillan is dominating the target share for the team while producing modest WR3 numbers, so this feels like a great time to buy in dynasty formats. For redraft purposes, he’s in the WR3/FLEX conversation for the rest of the season based on his elite usage in a sputtering offense.
Ja’Tavion Sanders: 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 32 Yards
Though he saw a season-low snap rate, it was the second-most receptions of the year for Ja’Tavion Sanders. That should tell you everything you need to know about his fantasy viability moving forward. I’m a believer in the talent, but he’s not going to break any records with his current QB.
Jalen Coker: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 21 Yards
Jalen Coker saw his largest snap share of the season, but as PFF’s Nathan Jahnke mentions, it’s due to his presence in three and four-receiver sets, as he wasn’t on the field in two-receiver formations. He’s perhaps worth a bench stash in deep leagues, but you won’t be missing out if you decide to drop him for another flyer.
Xavier Legette: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Mitchell Evans: 1 Target, 0 Receptions