We are proud to be among the first, if not the first, to publish full projections for the upcoming season, going live just days after the Super Bowl. Publishing detailed projections in early February comes with trade-offs, not the least of which is a near-total lack of clarity on how free agency, cap transactions, and the NFL draft will reshape rosters.
We've been updating our projections in near real time, including during the recent onslaught of free-agent transactions. This version will remain largely stable until we can layer in the April NFL draft, but stable projections don't mean settled debates.
We have a staff of sharp analysts with sharp takes of their own, so I thought it would be worthwhile to solicit their views on the key coin-toss situations that will shape each team's outlook in the coming months. These are important questions where reasonable, informed people can credibly land in very different places. I asked my colleagues to weigh in with one assumption: they were answering strictly through the lens of a standard 0.5-PPR redraft league.
New Orleans Saints Coin-Toss Questions
- Was Shough QB12 Pace in 2025 a Fluke or the Real Deal?
- Etienne: Does It Matter If Kamara Is a Saint?
- Is Johnson Finally a Must-Draft Tight End?
- Can You Trust Olave as Your WR1?
Does your view of Travis Etienne Jr. hinge on whether the Saints keep Alvin Kamara on the roster after June 1st?
Maurile Tremblay: Not heavily. Etienne is already the primary back, and even if Alvin Kamara is still on the roster after June 1st, Kamara projects for a reduced role rather than co-lead usage. What changes is Etienne's ceiling. If Kamara stays, I still like Etienne as a high-end RB2. If Kamara is gone, I'd feel better about pushing him toward the RB1/RB2 cusp because the passing-down and red-zone workload would look even cleaner.
Andy Hicks: No. Kamara didn't work well with Kellen Moore's offense. He recorded career lows in every category as a runner and receiver. It would be a surprise if he is still with the Saints after June 1st. Years of pushing his salary numbers down the road have come home to roost. If they want to delay the inevitable for another year, that's fine — it will not change my numbers for Etienne. The Saints ranked among the bottom five teams in the league in rushing last season.
Jeff Haseley: My view on Etienne doesn't change much based on Alvin Kamara's status. Even if Kamara stays, Etienne is still the lead back in the Saints offense. But if Kamara is cut post-June 1st, Etienne's target share could skyrocket, making him a potential top-five overall running back if the touchdowns follow suit.