Scheme Changes That Will Impact Fantasy Football: Kellen Moore

From Ben Johnson's arrival in Chicago to Kellen Moore's departure from Philadelphia, this series will examine how coaching and scheme changes will impact fantasy football in 2025 and beyond.

In the NFL, talent can only get a team so far. Some of the best-constructed rosters have faltered due to poor coaching, simplistic offensive schemes, and a failure to utilize personnel appropriately. Fantasy managers feel those failures, with disappointing draft picks anchoring a team to the floor of their league. Similarly, early recognition is critical (just ask the American Red Cross… CPR-trained folks will appreciate this — I’m sorry to everyone else). Fantasy managers who identify how coaching changes will impact fantasy upside early are most prepared to capitalize on value.

This offseason saw several coaching changes, with over a third of the league having some fallout. Let’s examine how these changes will impact your fantasy rosters. Next up: Kellen Moore’s arrival in Louisiana.

Kellen Moore ▶ New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints

Moore was a hot name on the head coaching trail for a few years, and he finally landed his first opportunity to prove himself in New Orleans. Moore has been one of the stranger names to gain prominence, as nearly every highly-coveted coaching candidate stems from one of three trees: Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, or Andy Reid. Moore doesn’t stem from any one tree, though his time in Dallas with Mike McCarthy inspired many of his West Coast principles. Moore’s offense isn’t too dissimilar to the 2024 Saints under Klint Kubiak, though their philosophies and how they call plays to manage games vary drastically. As with last week’s edition, the most prominent change is the number of opportunities the offense receives. Running the ball, controlling the clock, and sustaining long drives are staples in Moore’s philosophy. Kubiak actively looked for explosives, with Derek Carr pushing the ball 20 or more yards downfield 14% of the time during his ten games in 2024, ranking 6th in the NFL. Intermediate areas of the field were seldom used for the Saints, with more quick-game and short passing to supplement the explosive hunts. Moore implements a more balanced attack, pushing the ball to all three levels, but strategically attacking the deep third. Many consider Moore too conservative, attributing his 2024 success to the personnel. Most metrics from Moore’s year without McCarthy or Nick Sirianni to guide him match more closely with the Saints’ offensive woes, introducing questions about how much of the offense was his versus his bosses.

One thing is sure: the pace of play is essential to Moore. While he won’t be able to copy-and-paste his Philadelphia offense onto the Saints with this personnel grouping, he will always attempt to keep defenses off balance. To do that, he simplifies everything. Some, including me, believe his offense can become too simplified and predictable, but with a rookie quarterback likely under center in 2025, simple is good. Pre-snap motion and easy completions will be a substantial component of the passing attack, and fantasy managers should expect a heavy dose of the run. While it seems like Alvin Kamara will be a primary beneficiary, his usage already mirrors how the Eagles utilized Saquon Barkley last year on the ground. In fact, Moore hasn’t shown a willingness to filter targets to his No. 1 back the way Kamara typically commands. More on that later.

The conservative nature of Moore’s playcalling is highlighted by the Saints running six fewer plays per game and averaging just 28 fewer yards. Moore’s fast-paced nature keeps defenses on their heels, but his teams rarely take advantage of lulling a team to sleep. Combining that with the significantly worse set of offensive players, including a rookie quarterback likely running the offense, could result in a less efficient offense than the 2024 Saints. Certainly, the range of outcomes includes a return to the Air Coryell-inspired days, where Moore combines short and intermediate concepts with deep crossers. Tyler Shough’s arm is certainly big enough to do that, and quite a few of the wideouts can win deep. But the last few years of Moore haven’t indicated he’s willing to move back to the aggressive, explosive generation he was brave enough to try early on in his Dallas tenure.

Speaking of the wideouts, here’s how the skill position distribution differs between Moore’s offensive coordinator stints and the 2024 New Orleans Saints.

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