What fantasy football experts are saying about Julian Edelman in 2019
"He’s the unquestioned go-to guy in a New England offense devoid of proven pass catchers."
Although he’s been absent during the preseason, Julian Edelman is expected to play a central role in the Patriots’ offense when the meaningful games begin in September.
The 33-year-old is currently out with a broken thumb, but as was reported when the extent of his injury was first revealed, Edelman is projected to be “fine” for the regular season.
The injury that #Patriots WR Julian Edelman is recovering from is a broken thumb, sources say. He actually injured it playing catch three weeks ago, which is why he should miss just a few more weeks and be fine for the season. He just may not play in a preseason game, but 🤷🏽‍♂️.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2019
This is good news not only for New England fans, but also for those considering Edelman in fantasy football. While the slot receiver has been a solid selection for points per-reception (PPR) formats since 2013, his outlook for the 2019 season is potentially even better.
Here’s what the experts are saying:
Edelman was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season, but he was a force when he returned. He totaled 74 catches for 850 yards and six touchdowns for the Patriots, ranking him 13th overall in fantasy points per game in PPR leagues.
Projecting what he might do in the upcoming season is always an uncertain task, but despite Edelman approaching his mid 30s, 2019 could be one of his best for fantasy purposes. The main reason centers on opportunity.
“He’s the unquestioned go-to guy in a New England offense devoid of proven pass catchers,” wrote The Ringer’s Danny Kelly. “Rob Gronkowski is gone. Josh Gordon’s future in the league remains murky. Chris Hogan is a Panther. That trio leaves 195 targets and nine touchdowns on the board.”
Replacing those targets from Tom Brady will likely mean more of them head Edelman’s way. It’s one reason why Kelly listed Edelman as one of his seven value picks this season.
There’s also the fact that Gronkowski has retired, meaning that one of Brady’s favorite targets is (apparently) not coming back. That should only increase the volume that Edelman sees in the passing game.
ESPN fantasy expert Matthew Berry specifically listed Edelman as a player he “loves” to have a big season in 2019. Berry cited a Gronkowski-related stat in the process of his explanation.
“In Edelman’s past 16 regular-season games without Gronk, he has 114 catches (180 targets) for 1,374 yards and three TDs,” Berry wrote.
Though he admitted the comparison of previous Gronkowski-less examples isn’t exactly applicable to this season, the basic logic still holds. Edelman’s usage is likely to go up.
According to the experts for sports betting website Action Network, Edelman is projected to make 83 receptions in 2019 for 1,016 yards receiving and six touchdowns.
Edelman’s average draft position (ADP) is still relatively spread out depending on the host site, signaling that fans disagree on when to select him. This could make him a bargain draft pick depending on the numbers.
