The New Orleans Saints prepare for their Week 13 road matchup against the Miami Dolphins looking to salvage something from a disastrous season. Chris Olave was fully healthy last week but appeared on Wednesday’s practice report with a back injury. Should fantasy football managers be concerned about their top receiver’s availability?
Chris Olave Injury Update
Olave has been relatively healthy throughout the 2025 campaign after his 2024 season was derailed by multiple concussions. The fourth-year receiver has suited up for all 11 of the Saints’ games this season, providing consistency in an otherwise chaotic year for New Orleans.​
The veteran receiver popped up on Wednesday’s practice report with a back injury and was listed as limited. Normally, a limited practice session on Wednesday would be of no concern whatsoever. Wednesday practices are largely meaningless for evaluating a player’s availability, especially for veterans dealing with minor ailments.
However, Olave’s situation is different. According to Mike Triplett, Olave left practice early with the issue during the portion open to media. Saints offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was scheduled to speak shortly after practice to provide more details about Olave’s condition.​
The fact that Olave left practice early was the cause of the limited designation on the injury report. This means the injury occurred during Wednesday’s practice session, which is not ideal. In-practice injuries carry more concern than issues that players are simply managing from previous games.
The severity of Olave’s back injury remains unclear at this time. The Saints have not released additional information beyond the initial practice report. Back injuries can range from minor muscle strains that heal quickly to more serious issues that linger for multiple weeks.
Olave did not participate in Thursday’s practice, which is not a great sign for his availability. Missing consecutive practice sessions after suffering an injury at practice typically indicates the issue is more than just routine soreness.
The Saints are already dealing with significant injury concerns on offense. Running back Alvin Kamara was absent from Wednesday’s practice with a knee issue. Wide receiver Dante Pettis was present at practice but not participating.​
If New Orleans ends up being without Olave for Sunday’s matchup against Miami, rookie quarterback Tyler Shough will have quite a depleted unit around him. The Saints offense has struggled mightily this season, and losing their top receiving threat would make things even more difficult.​
Fantasy managers rostering Olave should monitor Friday’s practice report closely. If he returns to at least limited participation, that would indicate the back issue is manageable and he should play Sunday. If he remains sidelined, serious questions arise about his availability for a crucial divisional matchup.
The matchup against Miami would be favorable for Olave if healthy. The Dolphins enter Week 13 riding their first winning streak of the season. The game sets up as a potential shootout with both teams needing to air it out, creating opportunities for fantasy production.​
Olave’s Fantasy Outlook
Two of Olave’s three best games this season have come in New Orleans past two contests, a stretch in which he’s totaled 14 catches for 174 yards and a score.
The passing game isn’t exactly a work of art, but Tyler Shough has been better than expected (70% complete in those two games) and with Rashid Shaheeed taking his talents to Seattle, there really is just one place for those passes to go.
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In Sunday’s loss, Olave had two more catches than any of his teammates had targets, something I think we can expect to be the sort of usage domination moving forward. Miami has allowed four WR1’s to reach 20 PPR points this season, including Deebo Samuel in Week 11 prior to their bye.
Olave’s ceiling isn’t in the same neighborhood as those he ranks around for me this week, but his floor is elevated to the level that we can trust him despite being attached to an untrustworthy offense.
— PFSN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe
