Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook for Patriots | Are Rhamondre Stevenson, Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne and Others Long-Term Assets?

The fantasy football season has come to an end, but that doesn’t mean dynasty owners have stopped assessing their teams. The best dynasty owners out there are always thinking about the future of their team and how to improve.

After addressing the Chicago Bears, we’ll take a look at the New England Patriots and determine how to approach their players.

Quarterback Outlook

This season didn't go too well for New England, due in large part to subpar quarterback play.

Mac Jones came into the season as the starter, but was benched after 11 starts. The team went 2-9 in those starts before Bailey Zappe started the final six games and went 2-4.

A new starting quarterback should be on the way for next season. With the third pick in the upcoming draft, the Patriots will have the chance to grab a quarterback. They could also choose to sign one, as they go into the offseason with plenty of cap space.

Jones could maybe be given the chance to compete for a starting job with another team, but his chances of winning it aren’t probably going to be all that high. Zappe could stay in New England as a backup option, simply because he’s on a cheap deal.

As we’ll get into in a little bit, the Patriots’ offense doesn’t have many playmakers in it as currently constructed, so the next starting quarterback is going to have an uphill battle.

Running Back Outlook

Rhamondre Stevenson served as New England lead back this season. He was banged up throughout the season, and then missed several games at the end of the season. Ezekiel Elliott took over for him and did some nice things down the stretch.

Stevenson finished his season with 619 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 156 attempts, while adding 238 receiving yards on 38 catches and 51 targets. He played in 12 games.

Elliott was on the field for 15 games. He rushed for 642 yards and three touchdowns on 184 attempts, while adding 313 receiving yards and two scores on 51 grabs and 65 targets.

Stevenson is signed with New England for another season, while Elliott is a free agent this offseason. 

Stevenson has been a productive back when on the field, but he’s dealt with injuries fairly often. He might go into next season as the No. 1 option, but the team will absolutely want to have a backup plan in place.

Elliott could be that guy, depending on what the coaching regime (new or current) decides to do. Elliott did enough this season in his starts to possibly get the chance to win a starting job with a team lacking a starting option.

I’d be surprised if the Pats don’t spend a draft pick on a running back, or acquire one via trade or free agency.

Pass Catchers Outlook

Jones and Zappe weren’t great passers, but they also didn’t have many options to throw to.

Kendrick Bourne was the team’s top option in the pass game, but he only played eight games before suffering a season-ending injury. Bourne had 406 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 37 catches and 55 targets while on the field.

Bourne is a free agent this offseason, so it will be interesting to see what organization takes a chance on him. He’ll be 29 next season.

Rookie Demario Douglas did some nice things in his first season, but also dealt with injuries. He played in 14 games, tallying 561 receiving yards on 49 receptions and 78 targets. Douglas didn’t catch a touchdown.

The future looks pretty bright for Douglas, who could enter next season as one of the top pass-catching options in the offense depending on who the team brings in during the offseason.

Tight end Hunter Henry had a fairly productive season, but also missed a couple games. He finished with 419 yards and six touchdowns on 42 catches and 62 targets across 14 games.

Henry is another player who will be a free agent this offseason. He’s done some nice things on the field, but probably should be a TE1 for teams at this point of his career. He’ll be 30 years old next season.

Wideout DeVante Parker appeared in 13 games for the Pats. He tallied 394 yards but no touchdowns on 33 catches and 55 targets.

He’s tied to New England for a few more seasons. Parker might be released depending on what direction the team decides to go in.

JuJu Smith-Schuster’s first season in New England didn’t go as planned. He appeared in just 11 games, finishing with 260 yards and a touchdown on 29 catches and 47 targets.

Hopefully, he’ll be able to heal up over the offseason and go into next season with a little more upside. He’s still fairly young (27 years old) in wideout terms, so he could at least be a secondary option in the passing game, like his contract suggests.

Tight end Mike Gesicki finished the season with 244 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 29 catches and 44 targets. He was one of the few guys to play in all 17 games.

Gesicki is a free agent this offseason as well, so he might have already played his last snaps for the Pats.

The team will undoubtedly bring in some new pass catchers this offseason, whether that be in the draft or through free agency. Many of next year’s leading pass catchers are probably not on the roster right now.

How to Proceed

Like most of the teams picking near the top of the draft, New England’s offseason will be a busy one. There’s a lot of needs, especially on offense.

The top dynasty option currently on the team is Stevenson, but his future is murky. Injury concerns are going to be there, and there’s always the chance a new coaching regime comes in and Stevenson gets pushed out the door.

Stevenson is definitely talented enough to earn another roster spot and serve as a starter, but it’s not always easy for a back to pick up a new offense super quick. Preferably, Stevenson is part of an offense with more offensive weapons and a stable quarterback in place, as that would help maximize his fantasy potential on the field.

If I owned Stevenson, I’d see what he could land in a trade and try to sell high. You probably wouldn’t get too big of a return, but should be able to get some pieces that could help in the future.

Elliott is probably destined for a backup role in the coming years. He’s a decent handcuff option, especially if he lands in a spot where the starter is a bit injury prone. When his next team is set, he could be traded, but until then, he’s not going to be a huge trade asset.

Douglas is a receiver who did some nice things this season, and showed flashes that he could develop into a quality wideout. He needs better quarterback play to start realizing his potential. He’s a guy I’d hang on to if I already owned, and a guy I’d try to acquire at a fairly low price (looking at his stats) via trade.

Parker, Henry, Gesicki, Bourne and Smith-Schuster are in a pretty similar boat, with Smith-Schuster having more upside because he’s younger. They aren’t going to be super valuable dynasty pieces during the offseason (and several of them will probably be dropped). 

Regarding Smith-Schuster, I’d see if I could move him to an owner who believes he’s capable of a bounceback season. You won’t get a lot for him, but it beats dropping him for nothing. If you have Bourne, you're probably stuck with him until he proves he can play at a high level again.

With Jones and Zappe, they shouldn't be owned outside of deep dynasty leagues. Jones has a little upside left, but probably isn't going to net much in a trade. They'll probably both be of the fantasy radar by the start of next season.