Should I Pickup Kendrick Bourne? Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook

The New England Patriots are not normally a one-stop shop for fantasy football managers looking for wide receiver help. The Pats are ranked 21^st in passing offense, quarterback Mac Jones has been on the verge of getting yanked off the field in many games, and the team has no pass catchers like Randy Moss, Wes Welker or Julian Edelman on the roster.

There has been one bright spot in recent weeks, though. Kendrick Bourne has become the de facto No. 1 WR and has had back-to-back fantastic fantasy efforts. He racked up 16 receptions for 152 yards and a TD over the last two games and has suddenly become Jones’ top target.

So should fantasy managers actually consider acquiring Bourne and hope that he and Jones continue to roll together throughout the season? Here is my take!

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Should I Pick Up Kendrick Bourne for Week 8?

Yes, you should pick up Bourne! I know his track record is not in line with Justin Jefferson’s. I know that in the best year of his career in 2021 he had 800 receiving yards and five touchdowns, which were not enough to win many folks their fantasy leagues. I also know that throughout his career he has volleyed back and forth between being a No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 WR, but he has never really been a team’s go-to guy.

Yet Bourne has never been a cleared No. 1 WR in his career. This has more to do with the lack of talent surrounding him than his own talents. DeVante Parker has been slowed due to injuries and age. Demario Douglas is a sixth-round rookie who has only shown flashes of potential. JuJu Smith-Schuster has missed two games and is averaging a pedestrian 6.1 yards per catch. The tight end tandem of Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki is solid, but combined only have two more targets than Bourne has by himself this year.

Bourne’s upcoming schedule has some mouthwatering matchups for him. His next three games are against the Miami Dolphins, Washington Commanders, and Indianapolis Colts, three teams all ranked in the bottom half of the pass-defense rankings. Miami is playing without its top two cornerbacks, Washington has struggled all season long and stands 28^th in the league against the pass, and the Indianapolis just allowed the Cleveland Browns to score 39 points even though Deshaun Watson barely played.

Pick up Bourne and expect solid stats over the next month while he runs routes against below-average secondaries and is hammered with targets by Jones, who has the utmost confidence in him. Bourne should be good for 300 yards and two touchdowns over his next four games, if not a little more. He could be the best option on your league’s waiver wire at WR.

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