Julian Edelman Fantasy Outlook & Predictions vs. Steelers

(Getty)

(Getty)

Julian Edelman is all systems go for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to injuries, and that has again been the case this preseason. Edelman, who has been dealing with an ankle injury, didn’t play in any of the team’s exhibition games, it was unknown how much–if at all–he was practicing, and fantasy owners have been left in the dark.

As NESN’s Doug Kyed noted, however, Edelman isn’t even on the injury report for Week 1, so this was probably just a case of Belichick not revealing his hand:

Some are saying that Yahoo! Sports has him listed as out, but that’s not true:

This is pretty simple. Edelman needs to be in all lineups.

Although he doesn’t have the same kind of physical gifts as other No. 1 wide receivers around the league, he’s a perfect fit for this offense. Counting the postseason, he averaged 6.9 receptions, 73.8 yards and 0.3 touchdowns per game last season. Extrapolate those numbers to a full 16-game season, and that comes out to 110 catches, 1,180 yards and about 4.6 touchdowns.

Also working in Edelman’s favor is the Patriots’ projected gameplan for Thursday night. With solid run-blocking center Bryan Stork (injury) and between-the-tackles running back LeGarrette Blount (suspension) both out, and the Steelers featuring a secondary that was among the worst in the NFL last season, New England will be throwing early and often. And while Rob Gronkowski is the clear No. 1 target, Brandon LaFell’s injury means even more looks will be going Edelman’s way.

His lack of touchdowns makes him a better play in PPR leagues, but he’s a must-start in Week 1 no matter the format.

For daily leagues, Edelman costs $6,600 in DraftKings’ $1 million contest. That’s 24th among all wide receivers, making him a slight-but-not-overblown bargain.

Week 1 Prediction: 9 catches, 85 yards


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