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Kellen Moore had kept his plans close to the vest about whether he would play the New Orleans Saints' starters in the preseason. But after Wednesday's practice at Yulman Stadium, the Saints coach finally revealed his intent: The starters won't see action. Mostly. Moore said “a lot“ of the starters will sit out again for Friday's preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys, meaning New Orleans will conclude the exhibition season without the majority of the first team taking a single in-game rep before Week 1. Moore concluded that the Saints were better off avoiding injury risks since the team got extended work throughout training camp. New Orleans participated in three joint practices against three different teams this month, giving the starters high-quality reps in competitive environments. He said the three practices resulted in 145 snaps. The Saints had to be thoughtful about the choice, given the heavy number of injuries the team suffered during camp. According to Sharp Football Analysis, a website that tracks camp injuries, the Saints suffered the second-most injuries this summer behind only the San Francisco 49ers. New Orleans has witnessed season-ending injuries to defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (ACL) and guard Dillon Radunz (ACL), while watching several others (Jordyn Tyson, Quincy Riley, Cam Jordan and Alvin Kamara) suffer damage that likely will extend into the start of the season. New Orleans, too, felt like it got good work from the joint practices. On Aug. 13, the Jacksonville Jaguars rolled into town to give New Orleans an opportunity to pit itself against an AFC team that won 13 games last year. Days later, the Saints traveled west for two separate sessions against the Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams. Against Dallas, multiple fights erupted on a heated day, leading the NFL to issue a $500,000 fine to both clubs. Tensions simmered against the Rams, giving the Saints a chance to test themselves against the team heavily favored to win the Super Bowl this season. Moore has indicated the preseason is valuable as a tune-up. Last year, when the Saints were conducting a quarterback competition, Moore used all three contests to play most of the starters. This season has resulted in a different path.