Fantasy Football 2021: Five Patriots You Should Stay Away From
It probably won't be a big fantasy season for Pats QBs
For New England fans, having Patriots players on your fantasy football roster can add incentive and excitement to your viewing experience.
Players like Damien Harris and Hunter Henry enter the 2021 campaign with high expectations and should be viewed as middle-round draft picks. But for the most part, the Patriots' offense features players with mild-to-low fantasy projections.
Here are five New England players you should try to stay away from, or at best only roster if you're in a pinch.
QB Cam Newton
Newton posted the worst season of his NFL career to date in his first go-around in Foxboro. The 2015 MVP threw more interceptions (10) than he did touchdown passes (eight). Newton ranked 16th in 2020 fantasy quarterback points, trailing the likes of Derek Carr and a past-his-prime Ben Roethlisberger. Yes, Newton had virtually everything working against him last season and New England boosted its offensive personnel over the offseason. Still, it's tough to expect much from a 32-year-old dual-threat quarterback whose arm and accuracy have regressed.
QB Mac Jones
Some might view Jones as a low-risk move in the last few rounds of the draft. We'd advise against it. For starters, Newton appears to be the frontrunner in the Patriots' starting quarterback battle, so it remains to be seen when Jones even will see the field. And if/when he does go under center, expectations should be tempered. New England's offense is notoriously complex and it's only natural for young, inexperienced QBs to encounter growing pains. Jones has the makeup to be a solid signal-caller -- both in real life and fantasy -- but that time probably isn't now.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson
It's difficult not to get caught up in the preseason, even to a minor degree. Stevenson's four touchdowns over New England's first two exhibition contests also shouldn't be ignored, as his first two performances as a professional suggest the Oklahoma product can be productive at the NFL level. But the Patriots have a crowded backfield, including the feature back in Harris and the sure-handed, third-down dynamo in James White. Bill Belichick also has a history of largely shelving running backs as rookies. This recommendation might age poorly, but we can't see Stevenson popping in Year 1.
WR N'Keal Harry
There probably should be an asterisk next to Harry's name, as it remains to be seen how much longer he'll be a Patriot. The 2019 first-rounder formally requested a trade last month and there's been no indication he's moved off it. But he's on New England's roster for now, and he could be longer than expected due to the shoulder injury he sustained in Week 2 of the preseason. Harry likely won't be ready for the start of the regular season, and even when he does return to action, it appears he'll be behind Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne on the wideout depth chart.
WR Kendrick Bourne
The Patriots obviously see something in Bourne, who signed a three-year deal with New England in March. Belichick and Co. reportedly twice tried to trade for the speedy wideout before finally bringing him on as a free agent. But we have a tough time seeing Bourne making an impact in fantasy. The fifth-year pro never has eclipsed the 50-catch mark for a season and only has 11 career touchdowns. Not to mention, one could argue the quarterback who Bourne used to play with, Jimmy Garoppolo, is better than any QB option New England could offer. The 26-year-old wasn't able to shine in a Kyle Shanahan offense, and we're not sure if he'll be able to in a Josh McDaniels system.
