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New England Patriots running back (RB) Damien Harris is a fantasy football sleeper and ADP value for the 2019 season. Dominick Petrillo breaks down Harris' value in fantasy drafts.
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~110 Overall
Current ADP: ~120
The 5’11 213 pound running back from Alabama pipeline is the next man up in New England.
The Bromance between Nick Saban and Bill Belichick continues as Harris makes his way to the defending champs in hopes of becoming a fantasy and real-life relevant back in the NFL. While we may have to wait and see if this happens, as the sledding may be difficult sitting behind a lot of talent like Sony Michel and James White.
Those two are locked down as the starters with the Patriots. White used his pass-catching ability to finish as a top 10 fantasy RB in 2018 and despite missing some time due to another knee injury, Michel came back in time to lead the Patriots to the Super Bowl as the game’s MVP.
But the real opportunity for Harris comes with the fact he has a bit of both elements in his game. In his career with the Crimson Tide, Harris had 3,040 yards and 23 touchdowns on 477 rushes. Add to this his 407 yards and two touchdowns on 52 receptions and it shows his multi-faceted abilities. He's the type of player who could take over the full workload if called upon.
Belichick is not known for using a bell cow back and the likelihood of doing so now is slim. This said whereas Michel will be off the field for pass downs and White will be coming off the field for running downs, Harris will be on the field for both. This will help the offense by not allowing the defenses to know exactly what is coming based on the personal being deployed.
Brady and Belichick are the best ever at their professions. They did not get there by being stupid or predictable. We know what the Patriots do best. They find the weakness of the opponent and pounce. Like a lion, they wait until you are at your weakest and make their move. If it happens during the game or the next season, they are always looking ahead. They saw the Bills and Jets improve their front seven in the first round of the draft. So, what did they do? They got a pass-catching, hard-running player to allow them to get the ball out of Tom Brady’s hand quicker and allow them to nullify the improved pass rush of the other teams in the division.
Is Damien Harris going to be the best back the Patriots have had since Curtis Martin? Probably not. But he could end up being a very good fantasy piece for a long time.He is worth a shot this year in case his production comes faster than expected.
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