Chris Olave injury update: Latest on Saints WR for Week 17 Fantasy Football

Chris Olave is having an excellent 2023 fantasy football season with the New Orleans Saints. He has finished among the top 20 wide receivers in PPR leagues eight times in 14 games this year, including in five of his past six games. This makes him a reliable WR2 on most fantasy rosters, as long as he is healthy enough to play this week.

The star wide receiver was forced to miss his first game this season two weeks ago as he manages an ankle injury. He was able to make his return for the Saints last week, but he popped up again on the Week 17 injury report after failing to log a full practice to open the week. This potentially puts his availability in jeopardy for the 2023 fantasy football playoffs.

Chris Olave injury update

Chris Olave

The New Orleans Saints have a crucial Week 17 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which could potentially determine the winner of the NFC South. They opened their weekly preparations with a practice on Wednesday and listed Chris Olave as a limited participant with an ankle injury. He received the same listing on Thursday, raising concerns for his availability.

It's unclear at this point if Olave suffered a setback with his previous ankle injury or if the Saints are just managing his practice reps to make sure he is healthy for their pivotal Week 17 matchup. Fantasy managers planning on using him in their Week 17 lineups should check his practice activity on Friday, as well as his official listing on the final injury report.

What happened to Chris Olave?

During the New Orleans Saints' Week 14 game against the Carolina Panthers, Olave suffered a reported ankle injury. It forced him out of the game early, resulting in just four receptions for 28 yards, though he salvaged his day in fantasy football by scoring a touchdown. The injury has apparently been affecting his game and practice participation since then.

Olave was unable to overcome the injury in Week 15, as he was eventually ruled out against the New York Giants. He was able to return last week against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, but despite getting three extra days of rest, he has been unable to fully practice in either of the Saints' first two days for Week 17.

When will Chris Olave return?

Considering he was able to play last week, Olave seems to have a pretty good chance at playing in Week 17 for the Saints against the Buccaneers. The fact that he has been able to log limited practices this week, rather than being a non-participant, further suggests that he could potentially overcome the ankle once again, as he did last week.

If he is unable to play, Rashid Shaheed will likely take over as the WR1 for the Saints, significantly improving his already-solid fantasy value this week. The Buccaneers rank among the five worst teams in limiting fantasy production to wide receivers, so Olave and Shaheed could both be major factors during the 2023 fantasy football playoffs in Week 17.