X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

New England Patriots Fantasy Football Team Preview - QB, RB, WR, TE Outlooks

Rhamondre Stevenson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Rob's 2024 fantasy football team preview for the New England Patriots. Read about fantasy football values, sleepers, rookies, and starters at QB, RB, WR, and TE.

Welcome to my 2024 fantasy football preview for the New England Patriots as part of my team-by-team fantasy football outlooks series. This new 32-part series will dissect each NFL team through a fantasy football lens. We'll look at each of the four primary positions -- quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end -- and identify each player's value at their current ADP. Throughout this series, we'll also recognize players fantasy managers should avoid and target at their current ADP.

The Patriots' offense is going to look completely different this year. New offensive coordinator. New quarterback. New receivers. If the 2023 season leaves a bad taste in your mouth, I get it, but this isn't that team anymore. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect a great offense, but this whole offense is completely unknown. Often, that can be scary for fantasy managers, but there's upside in the unknown. Fantasy managers should be intrigued by how many young players they added this offseason. After all, what if they're good? What if the No. 3 overall pick, a quarterback, turns out to be good? What if the No. 37 overall pick, a receiver, turns out to be good? Based on their draft capital, neither should be shocking, but their ADPs aren't taking that possibility seriously enough.

There are so many places fantasy managers can find ADP rankings, all of which differ to some extent. Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football ADP page for the latest industry consensus ADPs. If you want to invest in your fantasy football leagues, consider subscribing to our premium account. Our premium tools can help you dominate your fantasy leagues. If you'd like to purchase our premium tools at RotoBaller, use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for a 10% discount.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Fantasy Football Team Previews

NFC West AFC West NFC South AFC South NFC East AFC East NFC North AFC North
Rams Broncos Saints Colts Cowboys Jets Lions Browns
Seahawks Chargers Buccaneers Titans Giants Patriots Bears Ravens
49ers Raiders Panthers Jaguars Commanders Bills Vikings Bengals
Cardinals Chiefs Falcons Texans Eagles Dolphins Packers Steelers

 

Fantasy Football Quarterback Outlook

Drake Maye: QB32, ADP 198
Jacoby Brissett: QB35, ADP 229

Fantasy managers are avoiding the Patriots’ offense as though they are incredibly confident that New England will be bad offensively. Rhamondre Stevenson is the only player drafted in the first 150 picks or 12 rounds. The first player selected after Stevenson was his backup, Antonio Gibson. Considering how many unknowns are on this team, are we sure we should be confident they’ll be bad?

New England will have a new offensive coordinator. They’ll have a new quarterback, either Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye, but fantasy managers should expect to see Maye sometime this season. They’ll also have a brand-new group of receivers, essentially. Last year, Demario Douglas played just 46% of the snaps, but that number should be closer to 70% this year. Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker will likely replace last year’s versions of DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster. The unknown can be scary, but it doesn’t need to mean bad. Before we get to the quarterbacks, let’s briefly overview Alex Van Pelt, the new offensive coordinator.

He had been the Browns’ offensive coordinator for the last four years, since 2020. Below, you’ll see a table of where Van Pelt’s offenses have ranked in several statistics over the years. One thing to keep in mind is that personnel drives decision-making. From 2020-2022, Van Pelt had Nick Chubb at running back. You can see they’ve been a run-heavy offense all four years, but in 2023, the efficiency took a nose dive, coinciding with Chubb’s early-season injury. His offenses have been tailored to the run thus far, but part of that could be due to the quarterback play.

Year Total Points Total Yards Points Per Drive Yards Per Play Pass Attempts Pass Yards Pass TDs Pass YPA Rush Attempts Rush Yards Rush TDs Rush YPA
2020 14th 16th 11th 11th 28th 24th 13th 16th 4th 3rd 5th 5th
2021 20th 18th 20th 17th 28th 27th 20th 16th 9th 4th 7th 1st
2022 18th 14th 18th 17th 21st 22nd 19th 19th 5th 6th 6th 11th
2023 10th 16th 23rd 28th 5th 19th 16th 28th 4th 12th 14th 26th
Average Rank 15.50 16.00 18.00 18.25 20.50 23.00 17.00 19.75 5.50 6.25 8.00 10.75

He’s had Baker Mayfield, Brissett, Deshaun Watson, and Joe Flacco in his four years. Not exactly a stellar cast of signal-callers. However, regarding the offenses’ overall output, they mainly operated at league-average to slightly below-league-average rate in terms of overall yards and points. There’s nothing about Van Pelt that should overly excite or concern you. He’s a fine coordinator, nothing special, nothing terrible. He did solid with what he was given in Cleveland, which, from a quarterback and pass-catcher lens, wasn’t much. We might think the same is true in New England, but the truth is, we have no idea. Maye could be really good! He was the No. 3 overall pick, after all!

Maye red-shirted in 2021 and became the starter in his second season. He completed 65.7% of his passes and finished with 4,293 yards, 37 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Regarding box score scouting, Maybe he seemingly took a step back during his final year at North Carolina. He finished with 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He completed 63.3% of his passes. However, in 2022, he threw 639 passes compared to just 506 in 2023. His yard-per-attempt average increased from 8.3 to 8.5.

In both seasons as a starter, Maye finished with a PFF passing grade of over 89.0 and an adjusted completion percentage of 75.4%. In his final season at UNC, he didn’t get as much help from his receivers as he did the previous season. Despite throwing 133 fewer passes, the Tar Heels had four more dropped passes. His No. 1 Devontez Walker was suspended this past season for the first few games. NFL Draft Expert Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had this to say about Maye,

“Maye’s size and arm talent jump off the tape immediately. He can make every throw, but he will try to make throws that he shouldn’t have attempted. The gunslinger mentality creates a fearlessness that can turn into interceptions, but it will also allow him to win in tight windows and make splash throws that gets crowds (and evaluators) on their feet. The combination of traits and tape make him a boom/bust prospect who might need patient management and coaching to help shepherd him toward his potential.”

Some of the same things were said about Justin Herbert when he entered the league. He was also seen as a project with a big arm and many physical gifts. Maye could be really good, and given his draft capital, it should be more than the expectation.

One of the things that is not being talked about enough is Maye’s rushing ability. In his two seasons as a starter, Maye had 245 attempts, 1,481 yards, and 16 touchdowns. Rushing continues to be a fantasy football cheat code. While we shouldn’t expect Maye to be Lamar Jackson or even Kyler Murray, he certainly has the collegiate history and athleticism to provide Trevor Lawrence-like rushing stats. That’s roughly 350-400 rushing yards and 3-5 touchdowns.

That may not sound like a lot, but it would give him an extra 3.62 PPG. Another component working against Maye is the unknowns within his receiving corps. However, for the final nine games of the season, where Douglas played at least 49% of the snaps, he averaged 6.9 receptions, 4.3 receptions, and 46.4 yards per game over 17 games, equating to 117 targets, 74 receptions, and 790 yards. Considering the poor quarterback play and offensive structure, that's a pretty good rookie season. While he won’t be a No. 1 receiver, he can be a good slot receiver.

Hunter Henry is a solid but unspectacular tight end. The real wild cards come with Polk and Baker. In the receiver section, we’ll cover their college careers more in-depth, but what if they’re good? Polk wrapped up a senior season with 69 receptions, 1,159 yards, and nine touchdowns. Baker had 52 receptions, 1,139 yards, and seven touchdowns. Polk was drafted early in the second round and Baker in the fourth. What if, because they’re unknowns, we’re underestimating them?

Maye’s price is incredibly cheap, considering the upside of his draft capital and rushing ability. While it’s a long shot, there are some similarities between the Patriots and last year’s Texans. Houston had a rookie quarterback with high draft capital (C.J. Stroud) and an unknown group of receivers. Because of that, fantasy managers largely ignored him and his pass-catchers. That ended up being a terrible mistake. Even if Maye, Polk, and the rest of the pass-catchers don’t hit like that, there’s still plenty of room for upside at their prices.

The downside to Maye is knowing when he’s going to start. Eliot Wolf is the vice president of player personnel for the Patriots and ran their draft this season. His old man was Ron Wolf, who had been the general manager of the Packers and had made the draft and development plan famous. Eliot mentioned that Brissett is just good enough to utilize such an approach.

Brissett brings minimal upside, but he brings experience, consistency, and dependability. He doesn’t turn the ball over. He won’t make any “wow” plays, but he’s not going to make plays that hurt you, either. He makes the easy plays and gives his defense and his skilled players a chance to win the game. There’s something to be said for the real-life games played on the field, but Brissett offers minimal appeal for fantasy managers. He can be completely ignored.

Verdict: Buy Drake Maye, Sell Jacoby Brissett

 

Fantasy Football Running Back Outlook

Rhamondre Stevenson: RB18, ADP 64
Antonio Gibson: RB50, ADP 153

Stevenson has been one of the quieter off-season winners at running back. The Patriots were one of the worst offenses in the league last year. This was largely driven by their abysmal quarterback play, which was only spared from being the worst in the league because Zach Wilson exists. One way or another, Brissett or Maye will provide much more effective quarterback play. They also added two rookie pass-catchers, which was desperately needed. For goodness sake, their No. 1 receiver was a 5-foot-8, 190-pound rookie receiver drafted in the sixth round, and their No. 2 pass-catcher was Ezekiel Elliott.

Last season, Stevenson averaged 13.36 carries per game, while Elliott handled 8.63 in the first 12 weeks before Stevenson suffered a high-ankle sprain that effectively ended his season. Elliott has since been replaced by Gibson, who averaged just 4.06 carries last year. While that was the lowest of Gibson’s career, it does present the possibility that Stevenson’s touch total will increase this season.

The biggest area where Elliott hindered Stevenson last season was close to the end zone. From Weeks 1-12, Elliott handled 57.1% of the carries inside the 5-yard line and 50.0% inside the 10-yard line. Stevenson was at 42.9% and 50.0%, respectively. For the 2023 season, Gibson handled just 5.9% of Washington’s carries inside the 5-yard line and just 4.3% inside the 10. Assuming the Patriots’ offense is slightly better than last year, a shallow bar to cross, and with these increased scoring opportunities, Stevenson has a great chance to score several more touchdowns this season.

While it’s very reasonable to expect Stevenson to get more carries and scoring opportunities in 2024, if there’s one area where Gibson could be a net-negative for him, it’s in the passing game. Last year, Gibson finished with a 9.6% target share and 57 targets. In Weeks 1-12, Stevenson had 49 targets and a 12.8% target share. Meanwhile, Zeke had 24 targets and a 6.3% target share.

With the added pass-catchers, the overall target share for the running back position might shrink a bit. It’s also possible that the target share is more 50/50, such as a 10% target share for Stevenson and an 8% share for Gibson. That slight decrease in target share wouldn’t be enough to outweigh the other positives.

Stevenson had a 1.08-yard per route run average. He also averaged 4.86 yards per target and 6.43 yards per reception. Gibson was much more efficient in the passing game. He had a 1.31-yard per route run average. He also averaged more yards per target at 6.82 than Stevenson did per reception. Gibson’s yard per reception average was 8.10.

Last year, Stevenson averaged 11.3 half-PPR PPG during Weeks 1-12. Out of those 11 games, Stevenson finished as a top 20 running back in seven weeks. He finished inside the top 10 on three occasions. His 11.3 PPG average would have finished as the RB25 on the season last year. In 2022, he finished as the RB13 with a 12.7 half-PPR PPG average.

As you can see from the table under Maye’s section regarding Alex Van Pelt’s history, he has routinely and effectively run the ball. Certainly, Nick Chubb had a lot to do with that, but it’s a good thing for Stevenson. Fantasy manager should be optimistic that Van Pelt can come in and design a solid rushing attack. Stevenson is an excellent bounce-back candidate with the other improvements along the offense. If Maye is better than expected, Stevenson could become a value. His current RB18 is a fair price.

As for Gibson at RB50, he’s a solid handcuff. In his first two seasons in the NFL, Gibson racked up 2,373 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns. In his third season, he still finished with 899 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns despite not cracking 200 touches as he did in his first two seasons. Gibson took a big step back in 2023, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be very valuable in the event of a Stevenson injury.

Gibson finished as the RB14 rookie with a 13.5 half-PPR PPG average on just 206 touches. He finished as the RB20 in his second season with a 12.4 half-PPR PPG average. In 2022, he was the RB31 and averaged 9.5 half-PPR PPG. At RB50, Gibson is a good value, and fantasy managers shouldn’t be concerned about drafting him at that price.

Among 48 running backs with at least 25 targets, Gibson finished ninth in yards per target, 11th in yards per reception, 23rd in yards after the catch per reception, and 18th in missed tackles forced per reception. If Gibson is utilized as the Patriots’ third-down and pass-catching back, he could still provide some low-level weekly value as a bye-week fill-in. At RB50, that’s a solid addition, especially considering his contingency value if Stevenson gets hurt.

Verdict: Fair Price on Rhamondre Stevenson, Buy Antonio Gibson

 

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Outlook

Demario Douglas: WR70, ADP 168
Ja'Lynn Polk: WR71, ADP 169
Javon Baker: WR92, ADP 231
Kendrick Bourne: WR93, ADP 235

Be prepared to embrace the unknown fully. We have two rookie receivers, a rookie quarterback, and a brand-new offensive coordinator. However, we cannot ignore affordability and potential. Polk is being drafted as the WR71, and Baker is at WR92.

We know nothing about Maye, Polk, or Baker as NFL players, but we know a little about Alex Van Pelt, the Patriots’ new offensive coordinator, as previously discussed. His passing offenses have averaged 554 pass attempts, 3,554 yards, and 23 touchdowns. He had one good year from Baker Mayfield, one bad year from Mayfield, and then a combination of Brissett, Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and P.J. Walker. He’s never really had good quarterback play, but he’s still been able to generate average offenses.

The main selling point for Baker and Polk is simple: What if they’re good? What if Maye is good? What if Maye is really good? We won’t know the answer to those questions anytime soon, but we should embrace that possibility and that unknown. Maye was the No. 3 overall pick for a reason. Does that guarantee success? It doesn’t, but we’re still discussing a good prospect. He was highly productive in North Carolina, and if the No. 3 overall pick ends up being good or even really good, will anyone be surprised? Absolutely not! At least, they shouldn’t be.

Last season, Ezekiel Elliott, Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mike Gesicki, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Reagor, Pharaoh Brown, Ty Montgomery II, and Kayshon Boutte combined to have 408 targets, 261 receptions, 2,532 yards, and 16 touchdowns. How many of those players are good? How many are average? How many are below average? How many are bad?

There is just so much opportunity in New England this season. Both rookies will have the chance to become Maye’s No. 1 option in the passing game. Polk would be my preferred target simply due to his NFL Draft capital. He was selected early in the second round, whereas Baker wasn’t picked until the 10th pick of Round 4.

However, both players are free, so why not roll the dice? What if Maye is better than we thought, and Polk is good, too? Or what if Maye is good and Baker is, too? Embrace the unknown. We may not know anything about these two receivers as NFL players yet, but we're not entirely in the dark. Polk's Reception Perception Profile had plenty of positives, precisely this:

"You get a good glimpse of Polk playing many different roles in college. He took 60.6% of his sampled snaps outside but traveled into the slot for a healthy 35.8% and was in the backfield as a pre-snap motion option for 3.6%. He was on the line for 52.9% of his snaps and off the line for 47.1%. Polk has the necessary success rates to project him to those multiple roles. His 68.5% success rate vs. man isn’t eye-popping but it’s in a reasonable range. You can say the same for his 69.2% success rate vs. press. Polk doesn’t have the early burst in his routes to gain easy quick separation, but he has good build-up speed that gets him open against man coverage. Those are the types of scores you want to see if you need him to hack it outside occasionally in the pros. Where Polk really shines is against zone coverage. Hsi 83.5% success rate vs. zone beats out several prospects projected to go higher than him in late April. In fact, among receivers sampled from this class, only his teammate Rome Odunze has a better success rate vs. zone coverage. I love the way Polk diagnoses zones. He works leverages well and knows when to bend routes over a hole in the zone or cross over a defender in the middle of the field. That build-up speed mentioned above sneaks up on defenders and he can rip up downfield coverage unexpectedly."

In his final season at Washington, Polk racked up 108 targets, 69 receptions, 1,159 yards, and nine touchdowns. He ran 41% of his routes from the slot and 59% out wide, displaying good versatility and the ability to win from multiple positions. He finished the year with an average of 2.29 yards per route run and averaged 5.2 yards after contact per reception. Out of 126 receivers with at least 75 targets, Polk finished:

  • 29th in targets (108)
  • 39th in receptions (69)
  • 15th in yards (1,159)
  • 21st in touchdowns (9)
  • 23rd in yards per reception (16.8)
  • 33rd in contested catch percentage (54.2%)
  • 32nd in missed tackles forced (15)
  • 28th in first downs (45)

You can see Polk and Baker's Reception Perception charting in the tweet below. Both players had highly productive senior seasons and received positive film analysis from Reception Perception. Polk received the better draft capital, but there are plenty of reasons for fantasy managers to buy both players, especially at their depressed prices.

As for Baker, Matt Harmon had plenty of good things to say about him, as you can see below. Based on their glowing Reception Perception and quality advanced statistics from their collegiate careers, it seems likely that one of these two receivers will hit. The better bet is on Polk, given his draft capital. The only thing fantasy managers need is to pick the right one, and for Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft is to be good. Certainly doesn't seem so far-fetched.

"His success rate vs. man and zone coverage scores are even more impressive when you see he ran a nine route on an absurd 35.6% of his sampled routes. That’s wild. The vast majority of prospects charted this past season were below 20%. Baker was used as a clear downfield threat and still showed out well in terms of separating at all levels. Baker’s 78.3% success vs. press is the most impressive note from his profile. He didn’t see nearly the volume of attempts as some of the top prospects in the class but still, he ranks third behind Rome Odunze and Marvin Harrison Jr. in success rate vs. press. When that was the assignment, he executed with precision. Baker’s success rates on the vertical routes like the post, nine, corner and out route were excellent. I’m confident in his ability to translate into a viable vertical weapon early in his NFL career. He shows he can stack defenders on the outside and snap off routes at the stem to earn space deep. He also tracks the ball well down the field and works with erratic vertical passers. He saw a contested target on 34.9% of his sampled looks and hauled in nearly 70%. Those weren’t easy chances, either, given how he was deployed."

Baker only had 84 targets in his final season but finished with 1,139 yards. His 21.9-yard-per-reception average led the country among 126 receivers with at least 75 targets. His PFF receiving grade was 84.3, ranking 21st. Baker ran 73% of his routes out wide, and it's a good bet that he will start the season as New England's X receiver. Polk will likely be the flanker, and Douglas in the slot. Baker averaged 7.2 yards after the catch per reception, the 21st best in this sample, and his 3.21-yard-per-route run average was the eighth-highest. Maye's gunslinger attitude could mesh really well with Baker's downfield abilities. Baker recorded a 7.84 RAS (relative athletic score) but has good size at 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds. Polk, on the other hand, tested as an exceptional athlete. He posted an 8.78 RAS.

That brings us to Douglas. He finished with a 17.0% target share and a 24.8% target rate. For a rookie, both are impressive numbers. It is, however, fair to call into question the level of target competition he was dealing with. Polk and Baker are certainly an upgrade. His game has some natural limitations, mainly due to how he was utilized. There were 62 receivers last year who had at least 60 targets. Douglas ranked:

  • 41st in yards per reception (11.4)
  • 47th in yards per target (7.1)
  • 51st in average depth of target (8.2)
  • 57th in receptions per broken tackle (49.0)

With those numbers, Douglas will need a lot of volume to be fantasy-relevant. Let's take his yards per target at 7.1 and assume it increases to 8.0 with a better quarterback and offensive coordinator. He would still need 113 targets to break 900 yards. He'd need 125 targets to break 1,000. Then comes the scoring issue. Hunter Henry is 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds. Polk and Baker are both 6-foot-1 and over 200 pounds. How many red zone and end zone targets should we expect for Douglas at 5-foot-8 and 192 pounds? Given Douglas' utilization, it's hard to see an outcome where Douglas significantly outplays his positional ADP.

Douglas is, however, a good bet to finish higher than WR70, but fantasy managers should question the ceiling. Given his role, his need for such a large number of targets, and the concerns regarding his size for scoring potential, is that winning if he finishes as the WR45? Certainly, he's outplaying his WR70 ADP, but is WR45 moving the needle in terms of fantasy wins? Douglas is a nice player. He'll help the Patriots' offense, but his upside seems relatively capped for fantasy. Fantasy managers should want to aim higher. Polk and Baker both have more upside.

Bourne is a nice veteran player, but given how much youth is on the offensive side of the football and that New England is smack dab in the middle of a rebuild, it's hard to imagine Bourne getting the playing time he needs to be fantasy-relevant. Polk and Douglas seem like full-time players right off the bat. Bourne and Baker may share playing time early, but in the long term, New England has to be hoping that Baker wins that competition, and they're going to give him every chance to prove he can play. He'll be a rotational player, but given his veteran status and New England wanting to see what they have in their young players, it's hard to imagine he gets the playing time to be effective for fantasy managers.

Verdict: Buy Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, sell Demario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne

 

Fantasy Football Tight End Outlook

Hunter Henry: TE19, ADP 164
Jaheim Bell

TE16 is the same as TE24, down where Henry is being taken, so it doesn't make much sense to quarrel about his ranking. Fantasy managers can argue that Tyler Conklin, Noah Fant, Jonnu Smith, and Ben Sinnott should be drafted ahead of him. That's fair, but his price isn't egregious. In 2021, his first with New England, Henry finished as the TE12 with an 8.5 half-PPR PPG average. That almost exclusively came off the fact that he scored nine touchdowns because he only had 603 yards. However, that was the only season New England had competent quarterback play.

Over the past two seasons, Henry has failed to post a target share of 14.0% or higher. His target per route run rate has been equally depressing, never finishing higher than 18.0%. Those are some pretty significant red flags. However, he's also finished in the top 12 in average target depth in his three seasons with New England. In 2021 and 2023, he was in the top 12 in the air yard share. Since joining New England, he has finished with 75, 59, and 62 targets. That tells fantasy managers Henry needs to run hot on touchdowns to become a tight end that (sort of) matters.

Every tight end down here, except maybe Sinnott, needs an injury to one of the starting pass-catchers or to run hot on touchdowns to be fantasy-relevant. Fant has to compete with D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Conklin has to contend with Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams. Jonnu Smith has to compete with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Henry's competition is a 5-foot-8 receiver and two rookies. We've already talked Polk and Baker up quite a bit, and at their cost, there's little not to like, but what if they struggle in year one? Henry could become the quarterback's preferred security blanket and red-zone target.

Because I'm targeting Polk and Baker so heavily, I'd rather (slightly) sell Henry and target one of the tight ends already mentioned. Henry has struggled to earn targets the past few years with far worse pass-catching options around him. He showed in 2021 that he can still be a red zone weapon, but this offense will still be a run-heavy offense. Fantasy managers will be lucky to see this team finish with more than 20 touchdowns, so running hot on touchdowns isn't a good bet here, unlike those other tight ends with more established quarterbacks and pass-heavy offenses.

Let's talk about Bell briefly, and we'll start with his NFL Combine performance since athleticism is crucial for tight end positions. He scored an 8.48 on the RAS and ran a strong 40-yard dash. He displayed lower-body solid power and explosiveness with his vertical and broad jump. Based on the RAS scores of some of the best pass-catching tight ends of the past 20 years, scoring at least an 8.0 is a prerequisite for any potential fantasy football upside. Bell displayed it, passing one of the very most important tests.

Bell is a four-year player, beginning his college career at South Carolina for his first three seasons. In his second season, he finished with 41 targets, 30 receptions, 488 yards, and five touchdowns. He posted an impressive 88.8 PFF receiving grade, the ninth-highest mark among 97 tight ends with at least 25 targets. He was first out of this sample in the country with 11.8 yards after the catch per reception average. Bell was also first in the country, with an average of 3.67 yards per route run. His 30.8% targets per route run mark is equally as impressive.

Bell's junior production took a step back. He finished with just 28 targets, 24 receptions, 235 yards, and two touchdowns. Despite the lack of volume, Bell continued to be efficient. He had a 76.4 PFF receiving grade and averaged 8.1 yards after the catch per reception and a 1.62 yards per route run average. He transferred to Florida State for his final season, which ended up being his best. He finished with 52 targets, 39 receptions, 503 yards, and two touchdowns. He had a 12.0% target share and a 20.4% target per route run average. Bell displayed excellent efficiency, showcased solid athletic scores, and was elite in yards after the catch. Among 105 tight ends with 105 targets, he finished:

  • 18th with a 75.3 PFF receiving grade
  • 10th with 8.1 yards after the catch per reception average
  • 13th with a 1.97 yards per route run average
  • 26th in contested catch rate at 50%

Fantasy managers don't need to be drafting Bell right now. He's well off the fantasy radar right now, and we'll be able to see signs that he's becoming fantasy-relevant before he does once the season starts. If he does, it will be a long shot. Because of that, there's no reason to make crazy picks like drafting Bell. This is merely a "hey, this is a guy to keep an eye on" kind of thing. The Patriots have an ambiguous group of pass-catchers. Henry is getting older. Maybe they view Bell as the future and want to give him some run later in the year. He's got some exciting traits and potential.

Verdict: Fair Price on Hunter Henry (slight sell). Don't Draft Jaheim Bell, but keep an eye on him throughout the season.

As a reminder, please use promo code "BOOM" at checkout for 10% off any premium purchase.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Vinnie Pasquantino24 mins ago

Sitting On Tuesday
Clarke Schmidt36 mins ago

Throws Three-Inning Sim Game
Sean Manaea46 mins ago

Shut Down For Two Weeks
David Bednar56 mins ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jake McCarthy1 hour ago

Back In The Lineup Tuesday
Zach Neto1 hour ago

Starting Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Jo Adell1 hour ago

Starting On Tuesday
Nick Robertson1 hour ago

Astros Acquire Nick Robertson From Blue Jays
Iván Herrera2 hours ago

Ivan Herrera Sitting, Pedro Pages Will Start At Catcher Tuesday
Francisco Lindor2 hours ago

Returns To The Lineup On Tuesday
Detroit Lions2 hours ago

Alim McNeill Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Christian Encarnacion-Strand2 hours ago

Not In Reds Lineup Tuesday
Jesse Chavez2 hours ago

DFA'd, Braves Select Zach Thompson To MLB Roster
Tennessee Titans2 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Returning To Titans
Washington Commanders3 hours ago

Brandon Coleman Moving To Right Tackle For Commanders
Adam Ottavino3 hours ago

And Yankees Agree On One-Year Deal
Raheem Blackshear3 hours ago

Returning To Carolina
Kirk Cousins3 hours ago

Not Expected To Attend Voluntary Offseason Training
NFL3 hours ago

NFL Ownership Votes To Move Kickoff Touchbacks To 35-Yard Line
Olli Määttä3 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway3 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys3 hours ago

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons The Highest-Paid Non-QB
Jordan Staal3 hours ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy3 hours ago

Not Traveling With Team
Geno Smith3 hours ago

Raiders Working On Extension With Geno Smith
Chris Godwin4 hours ago

Buccaneers Optimistic Chris Godwin Will Be Ready For Week 1
Josh Norris4 hours ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams4 hours ago

Coleman Shelton Expected To Start Again In 2025
Brady Tkachuk4 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams4 hours ago

Rams Open To Drafting A Quarterback
Kyren Williams4 hours ago

Rams To Discuss Long-Term Deal With Kyren Williams
Aaron Rodgers4 hours ago

Signs "Pointing" Toward Aaron Rodgers Signing With Steelers
Brock Purdy4 hours ago

49ers Optimistic On Getting Extension Done With Brock Purdy
Sam Hilliard5 hours ago

Outrighted To Triple-A Albuquerque
Trea Turner5 hours ago

Appears As Pinch-Hitter On Monday
Dominic Smith5 hours ago

Returning To Yankees On Minor-League Deal
Lance Lynn5 hours ago

Announces His Retirement
Michael Petersen5 hours ago

Angels Designate Michael Petersen For Assignment
Devin Williams5 hours ago

Yankees Place Devin Williams On Paternity List
Hogan Harris5 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jordan Spieth5 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Yu-Min Lin5 hours ago

Set To Participate In Extended Spring Training
Jake Knapp6 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim6 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood6 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau6 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole6 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Cole Anthony8 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Jerami Grant8 hours ago

Likely To Miss Another Game Tuesday
Anfernee Simons8 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday's Game
Scoot Henderson8 hours ago

Unavailable Tuesday
Deandre Ayton8 hours ago

Out Against Hawks
AJ Green8 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Tuesday
Kyle Lowry8 hours ago

Picks Up A Questionable Tag
Tyrese Maxey8 hours ago

Remains Out Against Knicks
Quentin Grimes9 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Casey DeSmith10 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment10 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka10 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov10 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov10 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes10 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Sam Stevens19 hours ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA19 hours ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Ochai Agbaji19 hours ago

Resting On Tuesday
RJ Barrett19 hours ago

To Be Rested Tuesday Night
Immanuel Quickley20 hours ago

Returning To Action Against Bulls
Jakob Poeltl20 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga20 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday's Game
Christian Braun20 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Meeting With Timberwolves
Aaron Gordon20 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Tuesday
Jamal Murray20 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday
LeBron James20 hours ago

Ready To Play Against Rockets
Nikola Jokić20 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Expected To Play Against Timberwolves
Trae Young21 hours ago

Likely To Face Portland
Bradley Beal21 hours ago

Could Return On Tuesday
Denny McCarthy21 hours ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman21 hours ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ilya Samsonov23 hours ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl23 hours ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Garnet Hathaway24 hours ago

Rejoins Flyers Lineup
Erik Johnson24 hours ago

Available Monday
Rasmus Ristolainen24 hours ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Ryan Preece24 hours ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
Colton Sissons24 hours ago

Likely Out For Rest Of The Season
NASCAR24 hours ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Jonathan Marchessault24 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Todd Gilliland1 day ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno1 day ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg1 day ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober1 day ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall1 day ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Denver To Take A Running Back In The Draft
CJ Vergara1 day ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez1 day ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Courtland Sutton1 day ago

"No Timeline" On Courtland Sutton Extension
Vince Morales1 day ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.1 day ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
New York Jets1 day ago

Jets To Wait On Contract Extensions For Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner
Saimon Oliveira1 day ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez1 day ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Jameson Williams1 day ago

Detroit To Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Kevin Borjas1 day ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

49ers Expected To Hold Brandon Aiyuk
Ronaldo Rodríguez1 day ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Sami Valimaki1 day ago

Finishes Fourth At Texas Children's Houston Open
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 32nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tom Kim1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 36th At Valspar Championship
Rickie Fowler1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 52nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Bud Cauley1 day ago

Finishes Tied For Fourth At Valspar Championship
Sam Burns1 day ago

Misses The Cut At Valspar Championship
Daniel Berger1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 20th At The PLAYERS Championship
Treylon Burks1 day ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Training Camp
Keenan Allen1 day ago

Chargers Not Ruling Out Reuniting With Keenan Allen
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron1 day ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano1 day ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Joseph Woll1 day ago

Stands Tall On Sunday
UTA1 day ago

Alex Kerfoot Leads The Way In Sunday's Victory
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry2 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres4 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum4 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira4 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]


Bhaysul Tuten - NFL Draft Prospects, Rookie Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Single QB

The 2025 NFL Combine has now been completed, so it's worth doing another mock draft to see where everyone stands after the league's pre-draft testing event. Overall, there were a few surprises, but the order of many players will remain the same. The mental domain of the original rankings, which have been fairly set in […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Later-Career Breakout Candidates

Typically, most NFL players break out in the early parts of their careers. Between the ages of 20 and 25 is when you expect to see the majority of players have their first big season. Some waste no time and put together excellent years while they're rookies, while some need more time to develop. These […]