Who Should I Start? Devaughn Vele or Arian Smith

Tuesday, May 5, 7:46 AM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele entered this offseason as one of the biggest sleepers in dynasty fantasy football. In his final four games of 2025, Vele had caught 19 passes for 239 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 12.2 points per game in PPR leagues during that span, ranking as the overall WR21. It seemed like he might be a breakout candidate in 2026, but that trajectory came crashing down as the Saints added two receivers in the NFL Draft. Now, Vele is behind Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson on the depth chart, and he could also end up behind rookie Bryce Lance, who has the speed necessary to fill a Rashid Shaheed-esque role in New Orleans. It's a disappointing development for managers who acquired Vele at a low cost this offseason. With that said, he's still worth holding in deeper leagues, as he's proven that he can handle volume. This Saints' offense is quickly trending up, so he could still get onto the WR3/flex radar if Olave or Tyson were to miss any time.