Fantasy Football: Why Patriots’ Phillip Dorsett Is Valuable Waiver Pickup

The state of the New England Patriots wide receiver corps has been volatile to say the least.

New England entered camp with a group of receivers that seemed pretty thin with Julian Edelman nursing a broken thumb and Josh Gordon still indefinitely suspended. Those two eventually made their way into the Pats’ lineup, and after trading for Antonio Brown after Week 1, the Patriots perhaps had the best group of pass catchers in the league.

Brown didn’t quite work out and Edelman continues to deal with injuries, putting New England’s depth at wideout back into the conversation.

Enter: Phillip Dorsett.

Dorsett arguably has been New England’s most reliable pass catcher, catching 27 straight targets thrown his way by Tom Brady. He also has three touchdowns on the season. And ESPN’s Field Yates notes that with the Patriots running more than three wide receiver sets, Dorsett finds himself becoming more and more relevant for fantasy owners.

The Patriots used 3+ WR on just 56% of snaps in 2018. That number is up to 73% in 2019.

Phillip Dorsett has a chance to keep shining. pic.twitter.com/kZAuln9f2e

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 24, 2019

Dorsett entered Tuesday rostered in just 5.4 percent of ESPN leagues. So if you’re looking for a depth wide receiver that comes with a good amount of reliability — well, you’ve found your man.