Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Wonderland Wednesday: Patriots 2020 Fantasy Football Outlook - 5/20/2020

Episode Date: May 20, 2020

Sometimes the best way to deal with reality, is to talk some fantasy. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Kyle Senra of Full Press Fantasy Football to discuss the New England Patriots’ 2020 Fantasy Football prospectus. The duo discuss the fantasy prowess of Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Sony Michel and Jarrett Stidham, among others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful and beautiful flower. I'm going to use a small flower pot. I'm going to use a small pot Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. It is Wonderland Wednesday here on the Lockdown Patriots podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions,

the New England Patriots. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And that's right, folks. Your team every day means that your questions, your comments, and your feedback, always welcomed and appreciated. And you can feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter

at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And while you're out there motoring around through that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, as Earth, Wind & Fire once said, come see victory in a land called fantasy. And calm down, we're not changing our clean rating.

We are talking about fantasy football. And because you know I can't get enough of my alliteration, Fantasy Wednesday didn't sound quite as good as Wonderland Wednesday. But as you may have guessed, today's focus will be fantasy football. And because for the last couple of weeks here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, we've been delving into a heavy dose of reality, whether that be the 2020 NFL Draft or being joined by my fellow colleagues here on the Locked On Podcast Network doing crossovers for both the NFC West and the AFC West.

But today being the midpoint in the week, I thought it would be a great opportunity to take a little bit of a break from the norm and delve into some fantasy football, especially when it relates to your New England Patriots. Let's face it, if we're being honest, the Patriots have never been fantasy football darlings. That included Tom Brady throughout his tenure here as well. Tom and the Patriots were more about the rings than they were about the fantasy points. But with the dawn of a new day here in Foxborough, will that change? Might we see some Patriots fantasy studs emerge from this new beginning here in New England?

Well, joining me today here on Locked On Patriots to discuss that very point and more is Locked On Patriots resident fantasy football guru and my good friend Kyle Senra. Kyle's knowledge when it comes to fantasy football is second to none, and pulling on his wealth of knowledge as host of the Full Press Fantasy Football Podcast, I'll be asking him about the potential of fantasy football prowess for wide receivers like Julian Edelman and Nakiel Harry. Will an increase in the running game lead to better fantasy production for guys like Sonny Michel and James White?

And last but certainly not least, folks, we will not neglect the new man under center. What is Kyle hearing, from a fantasy football standpoint, about the prospects of Jarrett Stidham putting up big-time fantasy football points in 2020? So folks, settle in as we take a break from reality and settle into a little fantasy, football that is, here today on this Wednesday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And folks, don't forget, today's episode is brought to you by Bilt Bar. Bilt Bar is a delicious protein bar that tastes just like a candy bar. Go to BiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get $10 off your first order.

And again, folks, Kyle Senra of Full Press Coverage will join us in just a moment to talk some fantasy football. However, the Patriots did make some headlines on Wednesday morning when Field Yates of ESPN announced that the Patriots and safety Patrick Chung had agreed to a two-year extension through the 2023 season. As a result of the deal, Chung gets $3 million to sign and is now due up to $12.8 million over the next four years. ESPN's Mike Reese went on to advise that the Patriots are creating about $925,000 in salary cap space as a result of Chung's revamped deal. Now the contract, folks, is technically an extension. The added years are most likely there to provide the team cap relief, and that is

significant because without this deal in place, folks, the Patriots had just a little under $631,000 in cap space available. As a result, the Patriots didn't quite have enough under the cap to sign their second round pick, which was their first pick in the NFL draft this year in 2020, and that's safety Kyle Duggar. Per my good friend Miguel Benzon, the Pats cap top gun himself, the Patriots now have approximately $1,555,880 in cap space available as a result of this deal. In theory, that should be more than enough to facilitate a deal between the Patriots and Duggar and get all of their draft picks in the fold. For Chung, he gets a financial adjustment for 2020, and most importantly here, folks, I think this is roster security for Patrick Chung. His name had been swirling around the rumor mill as of late about being a possible cap casualty

and that the Patriots were looking to cut him in order to create some space needed. Also, the drafting of a guy like Kyle Duggar seemed to make Chung expendable. But don't forget, he is such a valuable part of this offense. He's a favorite of Bill Belichick. And in my opinion, the knowledge and experience he brings to the football field made him someone that the Patriots knew they needed to have in the fold, at least for the 2020 season. So congratulations are in order for Pat Chung.

Again, an indelible part of that defense. If healthy this year, I know he still has a lot left in the tank. Obviously, the Patriots still feel that way, or they wouldn't have extended him in this fashion, and it also does create that financial flexibility they needed in the cap to be able to sign Kyle Duggar and maybe facilitate some of these moves down the line. And folks, honestly, I do expect them to make more moves like this. Possibly with Dante Hightower. I do expect an extension or some sort of adjustment in the Joe Tooney contract.

And there are others on this roster that could sign an extension to stick around in Foxborough for at least one more year. So as I like to say, keep a sharp eye. And because I'll take any excuse to be able to plug this man's great work, follow Pat's Cap at Pat'scap on Twitter. No matter what's being negotiated, Miguel has the answers to all your questions that'll solve all your problems. And with that news, Patriots fans, we put our dose of reality aside

and get ready to play in the land of fantasy. And Kyle Senra will join me here in just a moment to discuss some Patriots fantasy football. But before we do so, folks, reality continues to remind us about the necessary adjustments we must all make to fit into this quote-unquote new normal. It is certainly not easy. Finding the energy to complete daily tasks lately is a very tall order. And you know what else is? Finding a healthy, low-calorie treat that is just as delicious.

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into some fantasy. Football, that is. After all, folks, Locked on Patriots is and will remain a family show. But my guest today is one of the leading experts regarding fantasy football. He is the managing editor of Full Press Fantasy Football, the co-host of the Full Press Fantasy Podcast. Not to mention the managing editor for Full Press Packers and also a contributor to FPC Radio Live,

which I co-host with my good friend Ian Glendon each and every morning. Last but certainly not least, his writing and insight can also be found on going42.com. Making his second appearance on the pod is Kyle Senra. Kyle, thank you for joining me today. Welcome back to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. Thanks for having me, Mike. Always a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you, my friend. But I assure you, the pleasure is all on this side of the table.

I mentioned the multiple hats that you wear. Not only do you wear them well, but you wear them with class and you wear them with intelligence. Not exactly easy in our business, my friend, but you pull it off and you pull it off nicely. Kyle, this is your second go-round here on Locked On Patriots. And the first time that we had you on the hot seat, we talked a little bit about the background in fantasy football, how to get a roster together, what you should be looking for when it comes to drafting players. And we did talk a little bit about the New England Patriots, but today we're going to take a much more Patriots-centric approach. And you know from working with me, my friend, I love my alliteration.

In fact, I actually dubbed today's episode Wonderland Wednesday, but I'm thinking maybe that's a little misleading. So you know what? Because it's Wednesday and we want to talk about fantasy football, especially on the offensive side of the ball, maybe we'll make today a little bit of a wide out Wednesday. And we'll start with some Patriots wide receivers. Now, Kyle, you can't talk Patriots wide receivers without talking about Julian Edelman. And I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination to say that without Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, they're down in Tampa. Julian Edelman is the most popular player on this roster. He's going to be 34 years old by the time the NFL season starts.

He's also going to be catching passes from a new quarterback in Jarrett Stidham. The aforementioned Tom Brady is not going to be on a Gillette Stadium football field this year. So Kyle, taking these factors under consideration, it's difficult for me to believe that he's going to put together a fantasy football season the way he did last year. Edelman was great in 2019. He finished off the year with 100 receptions, 1117 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. Ended the season as a top five receiver in routes, targets, receptions, and OTD. And folks, for those of you that don't know what OTD means, that means opportunity adjusted touchdowns. Julian also had a career year when it came to fantasy rankings. He ranked the highest in his career as the seventh best fantasy receiver last season. But again, those numbers are going to

be very tough to duplicate with Jarrett Stidham at the helm as opposed to Tom Brady. Kyle, when you look at Julian Edelman, purely from a fantasy perspective, not from a Patriots fan perspective, but from the perspective of someone who plays fantasy football, what do you believe is an accurate prediction as to where Julian fits into a fantasy football roster this year, and what kind of productivity can we expect from him? Yeah, so first off, alliterations are awesome so always uh apply them i guess them well thank you um but uh so for edelman one thing that i've i looked up because i was curious is okay and this is something i guess we're not going to know until the season starts but i mean how much how much of edelman's heavy target share is because tom brady likes him so much and how

much of it is because josh mcdaniels is designing routes for him to be open putting him in the slot putting in positions where he's going to be the main target uh and again we're not going to know but one thing we do know is it's been pretty consistent so other than 2012 and then this is I'm starting back when Josh McDaniels returned to the Patriots so 2012 Edelman only saw 3.56 targets a game uh believe Wes Walker was still there so his role as the primary slot receiver wasn't established but 2013 uh that basically tripled it went up to 9.44 targets per game and it's basically been every year since 2013 Edelman has seen between 9 and 9.78 targets per game. It's incredibly consistent on how much he does get targeted. And I mean, if I had to look at it right now,

I would expect he's going to, again, be the number one target on the team. Perhaps it's 120, 140 targets as we've seen before. You know, if they do run, if the Patriots do tend to run a lot more than we've seen in the past, maybe that number doesn't quite get up there. And I guess the good news about Edelman is throughout his career,

he's never been a huge touchdown producer. The yardage totals haven't ever been enormous. Last year was actually pretty good. To get 1,100 yards is pretty good for Edelman. I don't think that's a career high. I didn't look that up. But I think that's probably pretty close to his ceiling. And yeah, he's probably not going to get quite to that ceiling but julian edelman's value

in fantasy football especially in ppr point per reception leagues has been just the number of receptions he gets per year and i think if nothing else that i think is something that could be sustained i'm sure mcdaniels is going to strongly advise the stidham yeah you know there's there's going to be tons of routes designed where your first look is Edelman. And if he's open, get him the ball. That's the easiest way to move the footballs we've seen over the last few years for the Patriots. So I would be really surprised if McDaniels isn't treating Edelman in that exact same

way. Yeah, I agree with you on that. I don't think McDaniels or Belichick will use Julian in quite the same way that they've used him in years past. Look, if Tom Brady were going to be under center next season, I think it would be much easier to project Edelman as a wide receiver two in a fantasy lineup. That's not the case. I think he's going to be more likely to be that wide receiver three type with a limited upside. Look, there's very minimal fantasy appeal with any of the Patriots other receivers. And I think because of that, defenses are going to swarm in

on Edelman. They're going to double team him. They may even triple of that, defenses are going to swarm in on Edelman. They're going to double team him. They may even triple team him, prevent him from being that type of security blanket that Tom Brady has utilized him as for the past decade. I think the Patriots offensive approach is going to shift a little bit. I think they're going to be much more run heavy. I think they're going to rely on a strong defense. Just look at the way they drafted, and it'll tell you. The Patriots drafted three interior linemen and two tight ends. That shows to me that they want to provide Jarrett Stidham with enough blocking power to pound the rock with anywhere up to four capable running backs on their roster. Edelman's still going to get his touches, but I think

they'll come in limited fashion. And again, if anyone does see 100 or more targets this season on this roster, it will be Julian Edelman because of his experience. He, to me, has the best fantasy outlook for a receiver on the team, and I do think he'll produce. I just don't think he'll put up the numbers like he did in 2019. But ultimately, buddy, we'll see. Kyle, staying on the wide receiver position for a moment, one guy that I believe is going to be under the microscope a lot this year is wide receiver Nakheel Harry. Former first-round pick, came into Foxborough with a lot this year is wide receiver Nikhil Harry. Former first round pick, came into Foxborough with a lot of expectations, spent the majority of his rookie season injured, and I don't care who you are, that's going to hinder your production. I really

think the people that want to label this kid a bust after just one year need to remember that the majority of that one year was spent nursing injuries. He was back in action as of December 8th last year against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he was never quite that productive receiver that we expected him to be. I don't think he was ever able to get on the same page as Tom Brady. Again, when you miss that kind of time in the preseason and into the playoffs, it's going to set you back. But I think Harry is primed to take a major leap in his second year with the Patriots.

It's pretty evident that the Patriots are going to go younger on offense, and I think he's going to be heavily counted on to shoulder the load. In that regard, my friend, I think Nikhil Harry might actually have some fantasy appeal this year. I can tell you from having watched this kid in practice, both before his injury and post-injury, he has the explosiveness and tools to be a number one receiver. I think it's just a question as to how much New England is going to use him, how much they're going to utilize the run, and how much they're going to go to the passing game. Kyle, in your expert, Obi-Wan Kenobi-like professional opinion, what do you believe to be realistic expectations for Nikhil Harry, and where might he fit best as these fantasy

rosters start to take shape for the 2020 season? Yeah, again, without Tom Brady, it's tough to see harry's upside being enormous i don't think his upside is going to take him high all the way high to alderan for instance um as maybe he would get nicely done the truth is and i mean i i think if i'm looking at the patriot situation the top three wide receivers seem pretty i will say locked, right? In terms of it being Edelman, Nikhil, Harry, and Mohamed Sanu. And I do wonder, you know, if they're going to use more two tight end sets and something closer to the line of scrimmage, and the Patriots are using less of the 11 personnel with three wide receivers,

then suddenly Harry's having a fight with Mohamed Sanu to get on the field. So I guess it's my concern with both of them. We don't know who's going to win out because Sanu did, I mean, he was on the field quite a lot. And they showed trust in him last year. I know he didn't always produce to the level that he was expecting.

The Patriots gave him a second round pick for him. They may have hoped for more. But again, also dealing with injuries. So for both Sanu and Harry, they're going to be coming in hopefully healthier than last year which will help them but I think as of right now there's there is so little clarity for fantasy managers that I wonder if it's knocking the price of both down to the point where both might actually be good draft values later in drafts

first of all I love the locked in reference so kudos on that my friend but all kidding aside I think you made some really great points on particularly be good draft values later in drafts. injury concerns last year with a high ankle sprain, never quite got into a rhythm, was never able to live up to his expectations. He's a savvy veteran that could end up being a pretty good option for the Patriots on the field, and he also might be a pretty good option on a fantasy football roster as well. I'm glad that you mentioned Sanu because like Harry, I think he could be an under the radar type pick that might end up paying dividends in the end. But if I'm being honest here, Kyle, I am a little higher on Harry than I am on Sanu. I've seen some projected stats about him having anywhere between 50 and 60 catches, maybe a little bit more,

right in that 700-yard receiving range. I only see him projected between four and six touchdowns. I think that's a little bit low considering his athleticism and his ability to go after jump balls. To me, I think that, plus the mystery factor that surrounds this kid we don't really know what he's capable of with a full season under his belt to me that's why he

could be a solid depth option for a fantasy team at wide out just about Harry and you know if it looks as of right now I've seen a lot more dynasty so obviously in dynasty settings Harry's going a lot higher than Mohamed Sanu but if they're close when it comes to redraft season I would definitely favor Harry simply because of his contested catch ability. He could end up being a primary red zone threat for the Patriots. And that could be something that also elevates his value.

I mean, I wouldn't be shocked if Harry has more touchdowns than Edelman simply because, again, that's never really been Edelman's game even when Tom Brady's there. But I wonder if Harry, coupled with his ability after the catch as well makes him a great target that you know I'm assuming McDaniels is going to use Harry

in a lot of different ways to whatever Harry's ability can be but I know uh in college it seemed like he was used all over the field wasn't just a deep uh threat they'd use him in the slot use him underneath routes and let him his athletic ability take over after the catch. So, yeah, I would say that the two receivers we want to invest in are Edelman and Harry. Now, just because we could crown Edelman as the number one receiver doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to put him ahead of other receivers

that are considered number two on their team. Like, for instance, Calvin Ridley. I really like him this year, even though he's not going to surpass Julio. But I think his target share and production is going to be so high that you're probably going to want to have Ridley more than a lot of teams' number one receiver. And I think a team like the Patriots, look at the, you know, probably most teams in the East, actually. I'd probably rather have Ridley than, maybe Devontae Parker is the only receiver I'd take over Calvin Ridley in the AFC East so none of those teams number one receivers I could see as a threat to Ridley as a

number two so I think that's maybe something people should look at is not just who's going to be the number one receiver on a team because sometimes the number two receiver can be just to be a lot more valuable than other teams number ones awesome And again, folks insight that you'll only hear from Kyle. You don't want to hear that kind of insight from me. Cause as I've said many times here on locked on Patriots, I'm a fantasy novice when it comes to a lot of this. So Kyle was educating me. The Jedi insight that he brings is second to none.

You can definitely tell that he is giving you those vibes right now. These are the wide receivers you are looking for, or maybe you're not looking for. But listen to Kyle when it comes to this stuff, folks, because he is the best at what he does. And my friend, you've given us some great insight on a wideout Wednesday, but you know what? We can't just limit our Wednesday conversation today

to wideouts. When Kyle returns, and I return here on Locked On Patriots, we will talk about the backs meaning the quarterbacks and the running backs in New England and what that may mean for their fantasy value when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues Patriots fans once again Kyle Senra of Full Press Fantasy Football

joins me today on the Locked On Patriots podcast and Kyle we've definitely done our due diligence when it comes to the wide receiver position. In particular, Julian Edelman, Nikhil Harry. We even sprinkled in a little Mohamed Sanu. But I've alluded a couple of times in today's podcast to the fact that I believe the Patriots are going to return to that ground and pound running game that seemed to work for them earlier on in the Patriots dynasty. If they're going to do that, they're going to need competent running backs.

And one guy that gets an awful lot of vitriol for all of the contributions he makes on the field is Sonny Michel. Even though the Patriots have brought in guys like Damian Harris, and they have guys like Rex Burkhead, and even James White on the roster, I still think Michel's going to be their feature back. Look, in the 2018 playoffs, he was excellent. He did regress in 2019, no question about it, but I think the additions they made on the offensive line are going to allow him to hit the seams a little bit better, and they're going to allow

him to run a little bit more prolifically than he did last season. The knock on Sony from a fantasy football standpoint is he really doesn't have that catching the ball out of the backfield ability that a guy like James White has. But that being said, I still think Sony has the ability to come in and be a featured part of this offense this year, especially in the running game where I believe Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkett if he's on the roster, and second year back Damian Harris, who I expect big things out of this year. Can't forget Brandon Bolden either. He's also a part of this running attack.

Kyle, when you look at the Patriots running back room, the last time you were here on Locked On Patriots, you spoke glowingly about James White, and any Patriots fan will tell you, and they'll agree with you, James White is one of the most beloved guys on this team. But I think Michelle may have more value than other people do. Do you believe that's the case? And what should fantasy GMs out there be expecting out of the Patriots running back core in 2020? It's funny, because the Patriots running back core in 2020? It's funny because the Patriots running back room over the basically last decade is it seems like it's it's Bellatrix, right? It's

got that reputation of, oh, you don't really want any other running backs because, you know, it's so fluid week to week. But the truth is, there is a bit of predictability when you're looking at, OK, are they going to be playing an opponent that is going to force them into a shootout situation or are they just going to run over a team? and i'm going to look at the patriots early schedules examples of this so week four they play the chiefs i think that's definitely a week where you're going to want to play james white and you're going to want to leave sony michelle on the bench versus the next week against the broncos i really like playing sony michelle that week and i'd be against the broncos unless the broncos we start seeing them early in the season kind of having a good off offensive explosive output that's probably a an opponent in the

Broncos where I probably want to bench uh James White and go more with Sonny Michel um so it's to me it's really it's going to be about what you're you already have on your on your rosters and the truth is Mike, you are right. Tony Michel not going to catch very many passes, which does limit his overall upside, especially in point-per-reception leagues. That's going to make it difficult for him to finish as an RB1, but not impossible.

We just saw last year Derek Henry not catching a whole lot of passes, and he led the league in rushing yards, which really helped. And I think about Josh Jacobs as well, who finished, I believe, as a top 12 running back. Again, without a whole abundance of pass catching. I think about 20 passes, which I think was around what Michel caught last year. The good news about Michel, though, two years in the NFL. And yeah, he hasn't reached 1,000 yards yet. But he's gotten 200 carries each of these last two seasons he's been in the NFL,

including 247 last year and only 912 yards. Really not a great efficiency there. And I think the one thing that will keep Michel out of that RB1 range is touchdowns. Six, seven touchdowns each of the last two years. If he elevates that to 15, 16 touchdowns, then it probably doesn't matter how many patches sorry passes he catches you know that many touchdowns he'll finish as a running back one but the truth is with again with it's not tom brady leading this offense so is the overall offensive upside the chance that at so many red zone opportunities and goal line carries and

touchdowns i don't i don't know that it's going to be there. So I see probably a similar touchdown year for Michel, 5, 6, 7, in that range again. But, I mean, even with his lower yards per carry, the Patriots are still willing to give him 247 carries last year. I don't think that's going to change. I mean, they drafted him in the first round a couple years ago, so they must clearly believe in him. And, you know, the narrative then was,

oh, they're billing for their future without tom brady well that future is now so i think it's uh i think sony michelle's gonna get every opportunity and if he doesn't succeed this year i think we could see next year them trying to phase him out but i think he's probably relatively safe this year like you know mike mentioned it by the end of the year he could finish as a running back too it's just's just going to be, I think he's someone where the Patriots running backs in general are really important to matchups week to week. Week two against the Seahawks. Not crazy about that for Michelle. Love it for James White.

Week three against the Raiders. Much higher on Michelle that week than I am for James White. So it's going to be that situation all year. I'm not hesitant to draft either. I think both could be good if they both come in at values again we'll have to see as we get close to August where they line up in ADP uh but yeah I think if if you could draft either as your third running back so if you're talking probably you know anywhere in between the fifth and seventh round that's

probably right and where their where their value should again, my friend, I agree with you. I think James White definitely has the value overall, but I do keep coming back to Sonny Michel. I agree, it's difficult to gauge his value, and I'm really glad that you mentioned the strategy about when to play these guys, how it's based on the type of game that they're going to be playing,

and how they're going to be utilized as to what type of producer they're going to be in a fantasy football roster. White has the ability to get you yards on the ground and get you yards through the air catching the ball out of the backfield. I think that's why he's the more valuable pick. Sonny Michel is going to be the Patriots' feature back, but I wouldn't draft him as a running back one simply because he just doesn't have the ability to make the plays

through the air. I think he's a solid running back too in a deeper league. You also might want to keep him around as a flex player. If Sony's your guy, that might be the best decision. But overall, I look for Patriots running backs as a whole to have a big year because I think the running game is going to be much more utilized than it has been in years past. And Kyle, that leads me quite nicely into my last question for you today. And that means the man under center. Kyle, I'm not sure if you heard. I mean, I know it's not well publicized out there. I can't even say that with a straight face, folks, but after two decades of football, the New England Patriots are going to have a new quarterback

under center this year, and that is Jarrett Stidham. He is set to take the reins for New England as they enter this new era of their offense. Now, look, Stidham saw limited action last year. He appeared in only four games last year. His most notable appearance was against the New York Jets, went two of three in that game, threw for 14 yards, and had the pick six that immediately led him to be replaced by Tom Brady. Tom Brady's not walking through that door, folks. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this is going to be Jarrett Stidham's team. Early projections have Jarrett throwing anywhere between 3,200 and 3,500 yards. Touchdown numbers in the teens, I haven't seen too many people projecting him either

at 20 or over that. They're also projecting him in the low teens when it comes to interceptions, and I'll get to that in a moment. Kyle, there's not a whole lot that's known about Jarrett Stidham, in New England as well as across the country, probably more so outside of New England. They're looking at his prowess as a quarterback at Auburn and probably not looking too much at his professional stats. Sometimes in the world of fantasy football, that can work to your advantage. Anonymity can enhance your value. Considering the supporting cast that he has around him this year, what do you believe is a realistic expectation for Jarrett Stidham as a fantasy

football quarterback in 2020? I think since the draft, the perception of him has gone up because the Patriots were expected to draft a quarterback. And there was some talk that if they made an early enough investment, a day two or even day one investment in a quarterback, that that quarterback would probably get to start games this year or get that chance to start games this year but going through uh they didn't even draft us or yeah they didn't draft any quarterback right mike they did not they have two undrafted free agents on their roster uh jamar smith out of louisiana tech and brian lewerke out of michigan state but no no draftees on the roster this year uh it's it's pretty much the stidham stump this year in new eng England without any question

about it, unless something changes, folks. But right now, I would say put your money on Jared Stidham being the starter. Absolutely. They haven't really brought competition, so at least he's got that stability. Now, again, Patriots week-to-week inconsistencies means that if you're league format, you're only starting one quarterback every week jared stidham probably shouldn't be drafted the quarterback's deep enough that you're going to have tons of great options however i would keep my eye on stidham throughout the season uh if it's a in a single quarterback type of format i'm probably waiting late and i'm just going to draft one quarterback i'm not going to worry about drafting a backup and then uh if you know poor matchups for my starter or by weeks or injuries i'll just start streaming quarterbacks in the waiver wire so i'd look to stidham i'm

looking i think it's week 10 they play the texans that secondary is probably one of the weaker parts of that team uh the the houston team so that's certainly someone especially by week 10 i'm gonna assume that stidham will have started every game by that point week 10 he should go into the offense a little more so uh i like him as a streaming option late in the year uh that actually that stretch right there they play the texans and then they play the cardinals the week after so those are two games where if your quarterback's on a bye week or injured or has some poor matchups those weeks stidham might be a good stream uh let me confirm one two three four five six seven eight nine two yeah week 10 and week 11 so look for stidham maybe be a good stream. Let me confirm. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Yeah, Week 10 and Week 11.

So look for Stidham maybe as a streamer option. Even Week 9 against the Ravens, it's a tough defense, but it's probably a team that's going to score enough points that's going to force Stidham to drop back maybe 50 times. And the efficiency may not be the greatest, but the volume will probably be there. So that stretch of three games, I like for Stidham a lot uh in new england it'll be at home against the ravens and at home against the cardinals the only road game there is the texans

game but again i think those are three games that late enough in the year he should be able to produce well so if you're looking for streamers late and with that you know obviously it's a little early to talk about week 11 streamers but that's something to just keep your eye on keep your you know if you're in a single quarterback league, again, you're probably not going to draft him, but do have your eye on him and, you know, ready to pick him up maybe a couple of weeks before that,

a couple of weeks early. I mean, they get the 49ers a few weeks before. He's probably going to have a bad game there. So I don't think he's going to be on any rosters around, you know, week seven, week eight. So look, maybe a couple of weeks early, pick him up as a streamer for that, that nice three week stretch that I really like in his schedule. Once again, buddy, great analysis. And

as always, quarterbacks are going to have the spotlight on them. I can tell you from personal experience and having covered Jarrett, I think he's going to be able to put up decent numbers if he's named the starter in 2020. And again, folks, I'm running off of the assumption that he's going to be the starter. I fully expect it. But until it actually happens, we kind of have to tell it like it is. So he's the expected starter, but not the officially named starter. Look, bottom line is how New England is going to use him in the passing game. I think that there's a good chance that they're going to focus more on the running game. I've said that several times today, and I think that's for two reasons.

One, because the Patriots do have a formidable running game, and it will serve them well. But also, I think it's going to allow Jarrett his best opportunity to get comfortable in the offense. And once again, I like how you said that middle season might be the time where you want to grab him. He might not have had some of his best work, but his best games could come toward the latter part of the season. And I believe that's going to be the case. Early on, I think he's going to play more of a game manager role. I think latter part of the season, you might see him be that gunslinger type quarterback that he's capable of being. Maybe even extend a few plays with his legs. He can do that, folks. But for all intents and

purposes, Jarrett is going to be a rookie this year. I know he's a second year player, but this is his rookie season taking snaps as the main man. He's going to make mistakes. That's why I'm not surprised that people are projecting him with 12-13, even greater than that amount of interceptions. It's going to take him a little while to learn the playbook, get acclimated into the offense, and therefore put up big numbers. So from a fantasy standpoint, folks, I agree with Kyle. Picking him as a starter is going to be risky, but he might be worth storing on your bench, especially if things click for him in the latter part of the season.

And if he can bring you some fantasy points, maybe he can bring us all some wins here in New England, which we desperately want and I think we value above all else. Kyle, what can I say, my friend? Thank you so much for joining me today here on Locked On Patriots. Folks, he is my fantasy football guru. He should be yours as well. He is one of the best in the business at what he does. I always listen, and I always appreciate his wisdom and counsel.

Kyle, before I let you go today, my friend, please let everyone know in the Locked On Patriots listening verse where they can find you, where they can follow you, and where they can always keep a sharp eye on your great work when it comes to fantasy football so you can follow me on twitter at nyama underscore ks that's spelled n-y-a-m-a underscore ks i also i co-host the full press fantasy pod uh recent episode uh just dropped about uh rookie draft results i brought in uh the best man at my wedding akili someone i've played fantasy football with for years.

Glad to bring his insight and just talk about some of the rookie drafts that he and I have been in and the results from that. Trades that the two of us made in drafts. Sometimes trading away picks. Sometimes trading picks, giving away established players. There's a lot of

really great episodes. Quite a long one too. It's over an hour and a half. I couldn't cut it down more there's there's way too much great information so you get you get the full conversation there uh you can check out the podcast on twitter at fpc underscore fantasy pod absolutely and folks i can't recommend kyle's work highly enough both when it comes to fantasy football if you're a Packers fan, Kyle does an amazing job covering the Packers for Full Press Packers. And again, anything you see that's attached to his name on Twitter, read it. I guarantee you, you'll be smarter. You'll have more insight.

And when it comes to fantasy football, folks, there are two pods that I need, and they're all I need. One, obviously, is the Locked On Fantasy Football Pod, but the Full Press Fantasy Football Pod is also a great listen and something that I think will serve you well when you're filling out your fantasy rosters this year. Kyle, always an honor, always a privilege. We look forward to having you back on here at least once a month to enlighten us on the greatest and greatest when it comes to fantasy football news. Thanks for today, my friend. And we look forward to having you back real soon. Thanks a lot Mike. And yeah you can lock me in for once a month.

Absolutely. You are our guru. The chair is yours my friend. When it comes to fantasy. Hang on there Murph. Don't worry. He's not taking your chair. Your guest seat.

That still says Locked On Murph on it. But when it comes to fantasy football. Kyle has his own beanbag chair reserved. And we'll definitely keep it for him right here. Thanks a lot, my friend. Have a great day, great week. Stay safe, stay well. Thank you. I'm going to stay safe because I'm definitely not dumb enough to steal Murph's chair. I'm not getting crushed by the Hulk. Absolutely. Well, yesterday here on the pod, I dubbed Murph the Count of Montefisto. I'm actually changing that to the Count of Murphyfisto. And yeah, he is definitely the master of disaster when it comes to this show. And I mean that in a good way, folks.

No, all kidding aside, thank you, Kyle. Definitely great insight on fantasy football today. I thoroughly had a blast. And again, we look forward to having you back as often as we can here on Locked On Patriots. I always enjoy talking to you, Mike. Thanks for having me. Thanks, my friend. Have a great day. You too. And so, Patriots fans, with that, we are more than halfway through your work week. And I want to thank each and every one of you for tuning into the Locked On Patriots podcast today and taking a bit of a break from reality and delving into the world

of fantasy. Football, that is. Jeez, folks, come on. It's a family show here on Locked On Patriots. But all kidding aside, I sincerely hope that you enjoyed Kyle's insight into the fantasy football world. Kyle is not only a good friend of mine, but again, one of the best fantasy football minds anywhere out there in sports media. I always enjoy speaking with him, and I look forward to having him back on the pod here soon.

As for me, I will be back tomorrow to continue to bring you the latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough. And I might just be joined by a special guest that will help me do just that. As always, please be sure to join me each and every day here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. And don't forget, you can always

listen to Locked On Patriots right on your own smart device. How, you may ask? Very simple. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's podcast, now ask your smart device to play the latest episode of The Draft Dudes. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank Bilt Bar for their sponsorship.

I thank Kyle Senra for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, and have a great day, everyone.