Saints D/ST is a fair Week 3 play — our DST14 at 5.2 projected points, right around the DST starter line.
- Projection
- 5.2 pts
- DST rank
- #14
- Matchup
- vs LV
Saints D/ST's fantasy role in Week 3
Saints D/ST goes into Week 3 of the 2026 season as a deep-league DST flyer for the NO. He is rostered in 3% of leagues and actually started in 1% of them, and we rank him DST14 on our own weekly board at 5.2 projected points.
Roster rates are steady week over week, so his role looks settled rather than in flux.
No injury designation to work around right now, which keeps his projection honest.
Week 3 matchup breakdown
The matchup: vs LV. Our Pepper Meter heat rating for this spot is 1 out of 5, which is how we grade the combination of role, projection and opponent difficulty.
Against a typical starting DST baseline of 6.5 points, his 5.2-point projection is 1.3 points short. That gap is the whole start/sit argument in one number.
How to play it
Saints D/ST is a fair Week 3 play — our DST14 at 5.2 projected points, right around the DST starter line.
If you are deciding between him and another DST, compare projections first, then lean on the Pepper Meter heat rating as the tiebreaker.
Sally's take
Peppers & Picks ranks Saints D/ST (NO DST), our DST14 this week for Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season vs LV, projecting 5.2 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. He grades 20% below the average weekly DST number, which is a floor problem more than a ceiling one. LV is the opponent, and that's the part of this I'm least worried about. Only 3% of leagues roster him, so this is cheap production before the price goes up. Mild on the Pepper Meter is generous, honestly.
Tina's take
Peppers & Picks ranks Saints D/ST (NO DST), our DST14 this week for Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season vs LV, projecting 5.2 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. He grades 20% below the average weekly DST number, which is a floor problem more than a ceiling one. LV is the opponent, and that's the part of this I'm least worried about. Only 3% of leagues roster him, so this is cheap production before the price goes up. Mild on the Pepper Meter is generous, honestly.