The New England Patriots quickly filled the hole left by Dion Lewis' departure by taking Sony Michel in the 2018 NFL Draft, someone who should be targeted in the mid-to-late rounds.
The Patriots running back position can be frustrating to many a fantasy football player. Find the right one, however, and it can be a bargain.
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The last two years, the Patriots have had running backs finish inside the top 15 in standard scoring. In 2016, LeGarrette Blount had 18 touchdowns, finishing as the seventh-best running back in standard scoring. Last year, Lewis only started eight games, but finished 12th in standard scoring.
However you want to look at the Patriots situation, it uses its running backs efficiently. Head coach Bill Belichick puts his running backs in the position to get the most out of their respective talent. When it comes to Michel, the sky is the limit.
No other running back in the draft has been as versatile as Michel. When Nick Chubb went down early in 2015, Michel totaled over 1400 yards from scrimmage, averaging 5.8 yards per touch as a sophomore.
When Chubb came back and Michel was forced to share the load, he became more dynamic of a player. In his senior season, Michel averaged 8.0 yards per touch. An incredible stat, that given the right situations in New England, will be a huge asset to one of the best offenses in the league.
There are more polished backs. Other runners capable of carrying the ball 25-plus times a game. While Michel is capable of that, he is at his best when he shares the load. His explosiveness does not throttle down and he has the vision and quickness to make any hit a home run.
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Blind Comparison between Sony Michel and two 2017 fantasy stud running backs (twitter.com/mitchellrenz365)[/credit]
Look at this blind comparison. Those two other players…Alvin Kamara and Kareem Hunt. There is no reason why Michel cannot imitate what Kamara was able to do in a timeshare in New Orleans. Michel should be a mid-round pickup and will be used at will by a Patriots offense that loves to put guys in a position to be dynamic. He might just be the next Patriots back to finish in the top end in scoring at fantasy football's end.
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