CeeDee Lamb lands at No. 35 in the NFL Top 100 as the Cowboys meet the Cardinals in Week 9 on Monday Night Football. Lamb’s 2024 numbers—101 receptions for 1,194 yards and 6 TDs in 15 games—came with Dak Prescott missing nine games, underscoring Lamb’s elite volume even without a perfect QB. He’s 0-3 versus Arizona in his career, a narrative that adds pressure to Dallas’s passing attack on the road. The Cardinals’ list of top opponents this season features Lamb prominently, marking a flagship fantasy matchup in 2025.

Across the league’s Top 100 reveals, Arizona faces an array of star names and playmakers, highlighting a formidable slate for its defense and a prime chance for Lamb to push fantasy output. Week 9 on prime time should spotlight Lamb’s route-running and target share, with Prescott’s health and the Cards’ coverage being pivotal factors for fantasy managers.

Jonas Sanker is turning heads for the New Orleans Saints in the 2025 preseason, flashing a versatile safety skill set that blends run support with reliable coverage. In the Chargers game he chased plays with decisive angles and delivered a standout pass breakup, then followed up against Jacksonville with five tackles and a game-sealing interception on a tipped ball. The early returns suggest the Virginia product is beyond just a depth piece and could earn meaningful snaps as the preseason progresses.

New Orleans’ safety room is evolving: Tyrann Mathieu’s retirement opens a leadership void, Julian Blackmon’s addition provides a dynamic veteran presence, and Sanker’s rise enhances the ceiling of a unit that already includes Howden and Reid. If the rookie keeps producing on every snap, the Saints may lean into a flexible, rotation-heavy back end that could be a sneaky booster for the defense and a real factor in late-season fantasy points from Saints defenders.

Bottom line: the preseason storyline centers on Sanker's ascent, the safety depth chart’s reshuffling, and how this could translate into real snaps come Week 1. For fantasy purposes, Sanker’s trajectory flags him as a potential breakout candidate if the Saints ride the momentum into the regular season and the coaching staff continues to trust his instincts on high-leverage plays.

Justin Reid is the Saints’ Player of Day 21 as New Orleans countdowns to kickoff with opening-night questions answered by his arrival. Reid steps into a leadership role in a defense eager for a dramatic improvement after last season’s underwhelming output, especially in the secondary. A product of Geismar and Stanford, Reid arrived as a coveted free agent and now anchors NO’s back end, tasked with filling Tyrann Mathieu’s void and guiding younger cover players through a pivotal season.

His NFL journey spans Houston, Kansas City, and now New Orleans, where his impact is measured not just by tackles but by his ability to read routes and disrupt passes. Reid posted 83 tackles with KC in 2022, followed by a career-best 95 tackles in 2023, plus multiple sacks and PBUs across stops. The Saints’ defense hopes Reid’s veteran presence translates into more turnovers and fewer big plays, a critical factor as they aim for a marked step forward in 2025.

With Mathieu’s retirement opening a new chapter, Reid’s home-state return is seen as both a symbolic and practical upgrade. The opener against Arizona in 21 days will test how quickly Reid can install a new backbone for NO’s defensive backfield and help lift a unit hungry for a confident start to the season.

Julian Blackmon joins the New Orleans Saints on a signing spree that aims to juice up the back end with youth and athleticism. In a countdown to Week 1, Blackmon, the 26-year-old Utah product, pairs with Justin Reid to form a fresher safety duo after Tyrann Mathieu’s retirement. Blackmon’s versatility—safety with corner instincts and slot potential—gives the Saints a flexible safety Dz that could drive stronger tackle floors and more playmaking in IDP formats. The move signals a shift toward a faster, rangier defense as New Orleans eyes a quick ramp to the 2025 season against the Cardinals.

Blackmon’s career arc has resilience: from Pac-12 ball hawk to Colts contributor, then a return from injuries to a signing that reconfigures a secondary in need of length and instincts. With Reid beside him, the Saints project a young but vibrant back end, setting the tone for a revamped unit that could elevate both pass defense and run support in a league leaning on dynamic safety play. Week 1 looms, and the Arizona matchup is a proving ground for this rebuilt DB corps.