Fantasy Football: Your simple guide to the AFC East
New England Patriots simple fantasy football guide
Quarterback
Leave it to the wily New England Patriots to sign former MVP Cam Newton to a one-year contract on a very team-friendly deal. While some folks will insist that this is an open competition with Jarrett Stidham, I am assuring you that, barring injury, Newton will be the starter from Day 1 in New England.
All signs are pointing towards another true Belichickian season of Patriots football. They will hang their hat on a dominant defense and use their offense to control the clock and pace of play. While opposing teams may not need to worry so much about getting beaten by Newton’s arm, they should be absolutely terrified by the Titanic-sized chip that is resting on his shoulders.
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He will be out to prove his place among the elite quarterbacks of the league. Despite less passing volume, the offensive formula could lead to major fantasy success for Newton as he has shown in the past to be one of the best goal line backs in the game. I look for the Patriots to turn Newton loose and let him get back to being a playmaker which should equate to plenty of rushing points.
Running Back
The only thing more boring than a Bill Belichick post-game conference is watching Sony Michel run the football. And yet, somehow, Michel’s boring-ness may not have even peaked yet! He’s recovering from offseason foot surgery which will further hinder whatever explosiveness he thought he had.
As you can guess, I’m passing on Michel in this year’s draft and you should too. I’d much rather have a player like Damien Harris. The 220-pound second-year running back has more of a downhill style and was productive enough while playing at Alabama to keep a guy like Josh Jacobs on the sidelines.
I’d also expect to see a little less of James White than what we’re used to as this is no longer Tom Brady’s Patriots. They will not be as fast-paced and will likely check down far less, as Newton is more likely to leave the pocket when a play breaks down.
Wide Receiver
Surprisingly, the Patriots did not pursue a No. 1 wideout this offseason. Their starting receiving corps will likely feature Julian Edelman in the slot with Mohamed Sanu and N’Keal Harry on the perimeter.
As I mentioned earlier, I expect the Pats to be a run-heavy offense and, for that reason, I’m generally out on Pats’ pass-catchers. But if I were forced to select a New England receiver, then I’d opt for Harry. In Newton’s heyday as a gunslinger, he’d cause plays to break down with his legs and then fire deep jump balls to bigger receivers such as Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess. Harry comes closest to fitting that mold and being the kind of big target that Newton has shown an acumen for.
Tight End
If you look at the Patriots roster, you will see that they currently have five tight ends, four of whom are rookies. It’s doubtful that any of these guys will be the second coming of Rob Gronkowski. What is more likely is that they’ll be an extension of the offensive line. I have no interest in drafting any of them.