It’s always fun talking about sleepers or offensive mainstays, but we need to talk about some players to avoid in fantasy football in 2023.
That isn’t to say they’ll be terrible overall, but these are players who will likely not provide any fantasy value to your roster due to many factors, including role, injury or depth chart.
These players could wind up making me eat my words, and I would hope they do. But not everyone will be fantasy relevant, even on the best offensive teams.
These players should stay on waivers and could be picked up eventually. However, it is best to monitor their play for the first month before rostering them.
Here are three Patriots players that should be avoided in fantasy football drafts this season:
Tyquan Thornton, WR
Thornton has all of the tools to be a solid NFL receiver, and he showed some flashes of his deep threat ability in 2022.
If he’s going to remain fantasy relevant, the second year wideout will need to showcase some consistency and the ability to stay healthy, which are two things he’s already struggled with.
With Rhamondre Stevenson, Juju Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and Hunter Henry in the fold, there are already a ton of mouths to feed, even in an offense predicated on picking the weak spots.
Thornton should see plenty of snaps as the burner, but he might not be consistent enough to trust in 2023 as a mainstay on your roster. Avoid him in the draft and monitor him while he is on waivers.
Pierre Strong Jr., RB
The sentiment of never trusting a Patriots running back has always stayed true, but Rhamondre Stevenson might be special. Outside of Stevenson, Pierre Strong Jr. might be in the lead for the change-of-pace role considering he was the fastest running back in the 2022 NFL draft.
Although his speed was showcased in flashes, his volume behind Stevenson means Strong Jr. should only be considered as a bye week play late in the season, if you are in need of a running back.
Even then is it risky to roster Strong Jr. until he shows some more consistency in his game outside of speed. I think he will ultimately look good in 2023, but not good enough to roster in a fantasy football league.
Hunter Henry, TE
Hunter Henry was a top red zone target in 2021 after signing with New England, and like everyone else, he had a down year in 2022.
However, the Patriots brought in Mike Gesicki, who also had a down year due to utilization issues with the Miami Dolphins. Gesicki is a great athlete that offers more explosiveness and height, which should make him a better fantasy play in 2023 than Henry.
The Patriots will run a ton of two tight end personnel, but with so many mouths to feed, it will be very unlikely both tight ends are fantasy relevant. My money is on Gesicki being the most relevant in 2023.
As much as I love Hunter Henry the player, in fantasy terms, it might not be his year. If Henry and Gesicki are both having fantasy relevant seasons, then it is likely Mac Jones and the Patriots offense is clicking on all cylinders.
