Is Sony Michel Worth Drafting In Fantasy Football After Trade To Rams?

Just like that, Sony Michel is a more viable fantasy football option than he’s been at any point since 2019.

The New England Patriots on Wednesday morning traded the fourth-year running back to the Rams in exchange for a pair of conditional late-round draft picks. Los Angeles’s addition of Michel, who will be a free agent after this season, arrived a little over a month after top running back Cam Akers suffered a torn Achilles.

(For the record: We saw this trade coming from a mile away.)

Michel arrived in the NFL with huge expectations after being selected 31st overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Some expected Alvin Kamara-like production for the Patriots. The Georgia productive never lived up to the hype in New England, ultimately performing like a good-not-great running back over three season in the Patriots offense.

From a fantasy football perspective, Michel occasionally has provided decent value but, more often than not, has frustrated owners. Now, the 26-year-old has a fresh start and potentially boosted fantasy stock.

With Michel now set to share carries with Rams running back Darrell Henderson Jr., we broke down cases for and against drafting the former Patriot.

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Case for
Michel didn’t offer much in 2020 (563 all-purpose yards, two scores in nine games), but he was a serviceable fantasy player the previous two seasons despite battling injuries and playing in a crowded New England backfield. He topped 900 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons, while providing six and seven rushing touchdowns in his rookie and sophomore campaigns, respectively.

Barring injuries to Henderson or Michel, or a total breakout from either, fantasy players could safely expect similar rushing production from Michel in 2021. The running game remains a staple of of Sean McVay’s offense.

However, it’s his potential as a pass-catcher that could change everything for Michel.

He was excellent catching passes out of the backfield at Georgia, and many experts believed his all-around skills would be a perfect fit in New England’s offense. But, for a variety of reasons, Michel rarely factored into the passing game while in New England. Tom Brady clearly didn’t trust him, and it became clear Michel eventually lost confidence in his own receiving abilities.

With Matthew Stafford under center in Los Angeles, Michel now has a new opportunity to show what he can do. Stafford long has been one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks in targeting running backs, especially when he teamed up with the likes of Reggie Bush, Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick while with the Detroit Lions.

Henderson, Akers and Malcolm Brown all saw significant usage last season with the Rams, and all proved fantasy-relevant either occasionally (Henderson and Brown) or often (Akers).

With Michel seemingly only battling with Henderson for carries, he could see a ton of playing time if he earns the trust of his coaches and teammates. That, coupled with the potential for increased usage as a receiver, makes Michel an intriguing late-round fantasy option.

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Case against
First of all, you should expect someone on your league to roster Michel at some point. Maybe that’s during the draft, maybe it’s immediately afterward when owners start messing around with the waiver wire, or maybe it’s during the season after Michel has a big game.

But should you use a fantasy draft pick on Sony Michel? Ultimately, you shouldn’t lose any sleep if you miss out on a player who rarely does more than take what the blocking gives him.

The reality is that, during his time with the Patriots, Michel hardly — if ever — offered the kind of “wow” moments that would have justified his being drafted in the first round. (That’s Bill Belichick’s fault, not Michel’s, but that’s a different conversation.) Michel is a solid, dependable running back — when healthy — who likely won’t provide any of the big performances that will help you win multiple fantasy games.

Plus, at this point, it might be fair to say that Michel never will find the pass-catching success as a pro that he enjoyed in college. Be it yips or overrated talent from the start, Michel simply has looked lost whenever on the field in passing situations.

Are Stafford and McVay what Michel needs to reverse that trend? Perhaps, but we’re dubious.