Kendrick Bourne

As practices begin for the New England Patriots on July 24, the team will be without two notable names on offense for the start of training camp — wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and running back Antonio Gibson. Unsurprisingly, Bourne was placed on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list after suffering a torn ACL last October against the Miami Dolphins, while Gibson will start on the NFI (non-football injury/illness) list. While it is unclear what New England’s backup running back is dealing with at the moment, it is expected that he will come off the NFI list relatively soon. Bourne’s status, however, is still up in the air as September approaches.

In terms of fantasy impact, Bourne’s issue is much more likely to impact his outlook in 2024 than Gibson’s. Although there is a world where Bourne returns to full health and maintains — or even surpasses — his high level of play from 2023, the serious nature of his injury means that question marks still remain. Gibson, on the other hand, has seemingly solidified himself as the backup to Rhamondre Stevenson and figures to feature primarily as a third-down back in the receiving game once he returns to practice. Elsewhere on the Patriots roster, expect to see increased opportunities for wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn, DeMario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Javon Baker, while Kevin Harris should see an uptick in running back reps during Gibson’s absence.

With offseason organized team activities beginning across the NFL this week, incoming rookies are finally getting the chance to prove themselves against veteran players. For the New England Patriots, newcomers such as Drake Maye — the franchise’s hopeful quarterback of the future — and wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker will have an opportunity to make a big first impression on their new boss.

Although Maye and Polk, in particular, were both high draft choices selected within the top 40, it sounds like they’ll have to earn the trust of Jerod Mayo in order to earn themselves a role come September. When discussing the receivers’ room specifically, Mayo said, “It’s a wide-open competition. We have some young bulls, we have some older players, we have guys who are really unproven, so this is an opportunity for them to really get a leg up, going forward.” Mayo also made it clear that the absence of presumptive starter Kendrick Bourne — still recovering from a torn ACL sustained during a Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins last season — will undoubtedly open up opportunities for both Polk and Baker, among others.

Although New England attacked its pressing needs on offense during the draft, this is still a group you will want to avoid in fantasy. While Bourne (when healthy) merits consideration as a FLEX option in deeper formats, it’s still unknown as to who the signal-caller in Foxborough will be come Week 1. Maye will certainly elevate the ceiling of the Patriots’ wideouts once he enters the fold, but the timing is still unknown. Until then, Polk and Baker can be seen as mid-to-late-round dynasty assets, while Bourne and second-year man DeMario Douglas are safer short-term bets with Brissett under center.

New England’s sophomore second-round wide receiver will start the season on the IR and miss at least four weeks. No details on the injury have been reported other than it’s Thornton’s shoulder and it happened sometime during the preseason. Former Panther backup QB Matt Corral will take Thornton’s spot on the 53-man roster.

Belichick drafted Thornton 50th overall in 2022, but the second-year Baylor standout has yet to make a mark in the NFL. He played in thirteen games last season but earned only 22 targets for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns. New Patriot offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien gave fantasy gamers the confidence to make Thornton a popular last-round pick, but it’s time to move on.