Tyler Shough

A 2025 second-round pick, Shough took the starting job from Spencer Rattler midseason last year and gamely outperformed expectations, ranking QB12 in fantasy points per game in his nine starts. He posted solid accuracy marks overall -- 12th in on-target percentage, 10th in completion percentage -- but deep-ball concerns out of college proved prescient. On attempts less than 20 yards downfield, Shough ranked fourth in on-target percentage (78.8) and second in completion percentage (76.0). On attempts of more than 20 yards, those percentages sank to 35.9 and 25.0, both 29th in the league. The Saints traded speedster Rasheed Shaheed midseason, but Shough still tried to push the ball downfield, as his average target depth was 8.3 yards (10th) and 11.0 percent of his attempts went 20-plus yards (11th). Expect more short-area throws this season as coach Kellen Moore plays to Shough's strength. To that end, the Saints used the eighth pick in the draft on WR Jordyn Tyson, whose intermediate-area skills seemingly fit Shough well. Chris Olave is back as the No. 1 target after a career year, and Juwan Johnson plays more like a WR than a TE. The once-cap-strapped Saints even made a splash in free agency signing RB Travis Etienne to replace Alvin Kamara, who could still stick around as a passing-down specialist or backup. It's a solid group of weapons, and Shough should also add some rushing production after averaging 4.7 carries for 19.3 yards in nine starts (three rushing TDs) last year. The concern for both Saints fans and fantasy managers is what will happen if Shough again struggles on deep throws and fails to maintain elite short-area accuracy to make up for it. Read Past Outlooks