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Looking for a reliable receiver to rack up yards? A guy who’s tough to take down and his fight for the extra yardage could be the difference in your fantasy points?
Julian Edelman is your man.
The New England Patriots slot receiver has been on 1,000-yard pace his last five seasons on the field except for 2017 when he was injured. Without Edelman on the field, the Patriots offense sputtered without that one bail-out target.
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Though he is aging, you could never tell given he hasn’t lost a step or an ounce of intensity on the field. He has earned respect from his peers and was voted into the NFL Top 100 list for 2019.
So what makes Edelman such a weapon?
Yards Three Different Ways
When you draft Edelman, you’re getting a tremendous yards-after-catch receiver. Edelman averaged 4.7 YAC last season, second on the Patriots behind James White. Mind you that’s in just 12 games. On a 16-game pace, he would have been in the top 20 of the league in YAC.
He also returns punts, though it is unclear how he will factor into that this year with Jakobi Meyers and Phillip Dorsett taking reps in that role throughout the preseason. But Edelman will likely see some return duties throughout the season and has averaged 11.2 yards per return during his career.
Finally, the Patriots have used Edelman in a rushing role at times, though seldom. When he’s handed the ball, Edelman 7.6 yards per carry. He only rushed nine times last year, and 12 the year before. We’re talking about a guy who’s so versatile but always around 1,000 all-purpose yards in a season.
Brady’s Favorite
Over the past three seasons Edelman has been healthy, he’s been one of Brady’s top two most-targeted receiver. He played in all 16 games one of those years, back in 2016, and his receiving yards soared to a career-high, though he’s been on pace for more.
Brady and Edelman have developed a brotherly relationship and seemingly operate on the same wavelength. That type of trust takes years to build but the reward has clearly been sweet. Brady feels comfortable going to Edelman, knowing where he is on the field in case he’s pressured.
That connection has allowed Edelman’s fantasy value to flourish, placing him in the top 25 among receivers.
What To Do In Your Draft?
The one glaring concern around selecting Edelman surrounds the amount of weapons and other targets at Brady’s disposal. It’s entirely possible as many as nine Patriots receivers can catch a pass in a game from Brady. While impressive, it takes away potential points from guys like Edelman.
Otherwise, there’s not much worry over whether Edelman will contribute. But that, like everyone else, all depends on him staying healthy which has been a slight issue in the past.
He’s certainly not a guy you take at WR1, but it wouldn’t be a bad choice to use him as a WR2 or even a flex guy given his versatility.
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