Kyren Williams vs Chris Olave

“Kyren Williams slotted behind Omarion Hampton and only barely ahead of Jeremiyah Love is, frankly, scandalous. Williams is entering his age-26 season, so he certainly isn’t cooked.”

“Round 3: Kyren Williams (RB – LAR) Kyren Williams was the counter-pick, a player who’s kept sliding further down draft boards each offseason despite finishing as a top-10 running back in fantasy points per game last year. Much of the hesitation traces back to a well-known backfield split with a rookie teammate, but the full-season split was closer to 65-35 in Williams’ favor, not the even split many assume.”

“Drafting Perine robs you of a chance to find the next Kyren Williams—a late-round pick in 2023 who ran for 1,144 yards and scored 15 touchdowns that year.”

“You can likely snag him in the fifth or even sixth round. There, you are landing a player who has finished as the RB10, RB10, and RB2 in fantasy points per game since 2023. If you're still on the fence, know that Williams gets one of the five easiest schedules for running backs.”

“Kyren Williams catches a lot of flak, but much of it seems unwarranted. All the guy does is produce. He has three straight seasons of at least 1,100 rushing yards, 30-plus receptions, and 13 touchdowns. And yet, he's sitting all the way down at RB22 in dynasty rankings.”

“For the fourth straight season, there is a clear runway for Kyren to have another top 10 finish along with 10-plus touchdowns.”

“Corum only had one game above 40 percent of the snaps. Even with this stretch, Williams remained the lead back and was heavily relied on in the playoffs.”

“In points per game, he was two slots lower at RB11, averaging 15.5 points per outing. Williams does add a bit of production in the pass-catching game, which is a plus because Blake Corum doesn't catch the ball. However, when it comes to running the ball, Corum looked like the better option many times.”

“While Kyren Williams ran 259 times for 1,252 yards and 10 touchdowns, and caught 36 passes for 281 yards and three more scores, I believe he's in for a down season. Last season, Williams finished as the RB9 in PPR leagues.”

“Kyren Williams was the RB10 in fantasy points per game last season, marking his third straight year finishing inside the top 15. Blake Corum did eat into his playing time a bit, but Williams still held onto the valuable red-zone role.”

“Williams is valued a bit too highly across dynasty marketplaces for his projection moving forward.”

“Kyren Williams threw his support behind OT Warren McClendon, Jr. and reiterated that he was a staple along the team's offensive line last season. "I learned so much about Warren. I love him as a player and being out there on that field with him when I had the chance this year to do that with him. It was fun because he has that competitive mindset, competitive spirit."”

“Shough is the unquestioned starter entering 2026, and he’s entering his second season with Chris Olave still in place and Tyson joining the offense”

“They also locked up Chris Olave with a massive contract extension”

“There are a lot of factors to consider when determining the value of a fantasy asset, and it is no different when evaluating the dynasty value of Chris Olave . We can look at the optimistic picture painted by his success with a new QB & new coach, finishing as the WR6 in the 2025 season.”

“After several concussions, most notably two in 2024, Olave returned to form. Olave played 16 games, putting up 100 receptions, 1163 yards, and nine TDs before missing Week 18 due to a blood clot.”

“That has him going ahead of players like Chris Olave , DeVonta Smith and Tetairoa McMillan — all of whom have similar WR1 upside without the same red flags.”

“Chris Olave showed immediate rapport with Tyler Shough , finishing his season on a high note. With Travis Etienne Jr. and Jordyn Tyson , the Saints’ offense should be significantly improved, which will help Olave’s efficiency.”

“Last year, it looked like he was back to form with 100 catches and 1,163 yards. Can we get another full season, Chris? Please!”

“Chris Olave's end-of-season yardage total (1163) looks fine and maybe not as impressive considering he played all 17 games, but he actually ranked #1 in the league in total air yards with 1,820, which tells us that the Saints left a ton of yards on the field as Olave's catch rate (66.2%) and catchable target rate (76.8%) was lower subpar due to poor targets or deep shots that never came to fruition.”

“The cupboards were largely bare at wideout behind Chris Olave.”

“The concern with Chris Olave comes down almost entirely to concussion history. Three straight seasons involving concussions, plus additional issues dating back to college, create long-term dynasty risk that's difficult to ignore, with reports that Olave even contemplated retirement after his latest concussion.”

“New Orleans added three wide receivers and a tight end through the draft, and signed Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency. Olave hauled in 25 percent of the team's receptions, and replicating that number will be dang near impossible.”

“Chris Olave is a slight loser with Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson going to New Orleans at No. 8 overall. It's doubtful that he'll approach 156 targets again with another high-end weapon in the mix.”