0 of 3
Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
Offensive depth is a great thing to have if you are the New England Patriots and bad for fantasy football players that draft members of that roster.
The Patriots did not have a 1,000-yard receiver in 2021, but they did have five players record 400 or more receiving yards and had seven guys split up the 24 touchdown catches.
New England added to its depth with the trade for De’Vante Parker. That helps the development of Mac Jones and hurts the potential production of the other wide receivers.
Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor all split time in the top role last season, but none of them were consistent scoring threats because that title belonged to tight end Hunter Henry.
Jones is the real fantasy football winner from the Parker trade since he has another option to throw to, but good luck figuring out what the catch balance will be between all of the Patriots’ targets.
1 of 3
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Mac Jones may have the best long-term fantasy football value on the New England Patriots roster.
The second-year quarterback has countless options to choose from in the passing game. That was the case in 2021 and it was reinforced by the DeVante Parker acquisition.
Jones threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns in his rookie season despite not having a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver like other top AFC teams have.
Jakobi Meyers, Parker and others are solid pieces, but they would be No. 2 wide receivers on most playoff rosters, which is why their fantasy football value is lower than other top pass-catches.
Jones does not have to worry about splitting production with others. He just has to get the ball to whomever is open inside the Patriots offense.
The addition of Parker should help with that and Jones should once again get some solid red-zone production out of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.
Jones is not yet in the top tier of fantasy quarterbacks, but if he progresses in 2022, he could make the case to be a top 10 signal-caller by season’s end.
2 of 3
Mark Brown/Getty Images
DeVante Parker could be the No. 1 wide receiver on the Patriots roster, but we do not know that for sure.
Parker’s production dipped significantly after his 1,202-yard season in 2019. He finished the 2021 campaign with 40 catches, 515 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games.
Parker’s two-year drop off that was caused partially by injuries has to be concerning from a fantasy football perspective.
At his best, Parker could take hold of the No. 1 spot and become Jones’ top target throughout the season.
There is also the chance of Parker just blending in with the rest of targets and producing an average statistical campaign.
Parker should come with buyer beware and is nothing more than a No. 2 or No. 3 wide receiver on fantasy rosters.
A selection of Parker in dynasty or re-draft leagues is purely based off speculation about his role in New England.
3 of 3
Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
Hunter Henry is the most reliable scoring threat inside the New England passing attack.
Henry brought in nine touchdown catches last season. That was four more than the next best total produced by Kendrick Bourne. No other player had more than three touchdown receptions.
Henry established himself as Jones’ top red-zone target and that should not change with the arrival of Parker.
The former Chargers tight end has 18 touchdown catches over the last three seasons and 30 scores in his career.
Henry should be trusted in any fantasy football format in the second tier of tight ends beneath Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews and George Kittle.
Henry is a strong alternative to the top-tier tight ends, and if you want to spend more attention and salary on other positions, he is the perfect tight end to slot into the roster.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
