Patriots WR Ja’Lynn Polk (concussion) missed practice all week and is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Jets. The rookie is off to a rough start, catching just 10 of 26 targets for 78 yards and one TD through seven games. Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas, and Kendrick Bourne figure to operate as New England’s top three WRs this weekend.
ESPN's Mike Reiss posited this week who the early favorites might be to lead the Patriots at WR. "Former Viking K.J. Osborn ... has positioned himself as an early leader among Patriots receivers," Reiss wrote. "Second-year slot receiver DeMario Douglas appears as quick as ever. Add in [rookie Ja'Lynn] Polk, and that could be the team's top three targets if everyone is healthy." That assessment came amid a longer intro that focused on Polk's work. The second-round pick has reportedly impressed with his work in practice. He -- and the others -- face a seemingly wide-open fight for jobs in a WR corps that stunk last year and didn't spend much on adding to it this offseason.
Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte was arrested for allegedly placing more than 8,900 bets while underaged with a fake account, according to NOLA.com's Wilson Alexander. At least six of those bets were placed on the LSU team Boutte played on. We'll see how the Patriots and the NFL respond to these allegations, but Boutte had very little dynasty value to begin with. He fell to the sixth round of the 2023 draft and caught just two balls as a rookie.
Patriots WR Demario Douglas (concussion) is out for Thursday night's game vs. the Steelers. He remained sidelined in practice all week, so he still has lots of work to do to clear the protocol for Week 15. WR Kayshon Boutte (shoulder) has also been ruled out for Thursday night. DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton figure to operate as New England's top three WRs in Pittsburgh. Parker is the best bet for targets but is no better than a WR4 in an offense implied for only 12.5 points.
Patriots WR Demario Douglas (concussion) missed practice all week and is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Chargers. WR Kayshon Boutte (shoulder, illness) is also out. That leaves New England with WRs DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, and Jalen Reagor. You could take a shot on Parker, Smith-Schuster, or Thornton in DFS, but you shouldn’t mess with the situation in season-long fantasy leagues.
Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton (foot) is active for today’s game vs. the Commanders. WR Kayshon Boutte is a healthy scratch, leaving Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Reagor, and Thornton as New England’s top four WRs.
Patriots WR DeVante Parker (concussion) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Commanders. We’ll see if he can get cleared for Week 10. With WR Kendrick Bourne done for the season with his torn ACL, New England is down to WRs Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Reagor, Tyquan Thornton, and Kayshon Boutte. Thornton (foot) is listed as questionable for Week 9. Douglas is the favorite for targets here and a viable WR4 or flex play in PPR leagues.
Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton (shoulder) is active for today’s game vs. the Raiders. He has a chance to step in as New England’s No. 3 WR with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario Douglas out. But Thornton should not be in fantasy lineups in his 2023 debut. WR Kayshon Boutte is a healthy scratch.
Patriots WR DeVante Parker (knee) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Dolphins. It’s unclear how big a role he’ll play in his 2023 debut. Parker is only a viable option in one-game DFS contests. WR Kayshon Boutte is a healthy scratch for New England tonight.
Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster ran well behind veteran WR Kendrick Bourne and rookie WR Kayshon Boutte in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. Bourne led the WR corps with 73 offensive snaps and 54 routes among 58 Mac Jones dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Boutte ranked second with 55 snaps and 43 routes. Smith-Schuster played just 43 snaps and ran 27 routes, tying rookie WR Demario Douglas in the latter category. ESPN's Mike Reiss says that playing time "reflects him being managed to some degree." Smith-Schuster is dealing with a knee that required a cleanup procedure in the offseason. SI.com's Albert Breer recently said in a radio interview that the knee "is a mess and ... could explode at any point." Smith-Schuster still fared well in target rate. His 7 tied for second on the team, trailing only Bourne. But he turned them into just 33 yards on 4 catches. There's little to like about Smith-Schuster, who is cuttable in some leagues if you're looking for more upside on the waiver wire this week.
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald says Patriots rookie WR Kayshon Boutte is making a "late surge for a roster spot." That's a good way to encapsulate his current fantasy standing. We've seen other positive recent reports on Boutte's performance, including from Kyed. And the sixth-round pick started his college career with intriguing upside before being derailed by injury. That upside makes him worth a stash in dynasty leagues. But that he's fighting for a roster spot on a time with a questionable-to-weak WR corps should temper any excitement.
Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte was “outplayed” in OTAs by fellow rookie WR Demario Douglas, per The Athletic’s Chad Graff. No surprise, then, that Graff doesn't expect the LSU product to make New England's 53-man roster. Douglas arrived 23 picks after Boutte, whose struggles we detailed around the NFL draft. We’ll see how the WR competition heats up when players put on pads. Both WRs remain miles from redraft relevance. And per our Dynasty Trade Value Chart, Boutte doesn’t move the needle at all in a perspective deal.
The Patriots selected WR Kayshon Boutte with the 10th pick of Round 6 in the NFL Draft. It's a discouraging spot for Boutte, who opened his LSU career looking like a future star. A sophomore-year ankle injury derailed him and continued to impact Boutte through his final season. He followed that with disappointing testing at the Scouting Combine. We like the potential of a fully healthy Boutte -- check his dynasty value report -- but the draft fall suggests the league doesn't believe there's a ton of upside. Don't expect an exciting spot in our dynasty WR rankings.
LSU WR Kayshon Boutte ran a decent 4.5-second 40-yard dash Saturday at the NFL Scouting combine. He didn't have a great day otherwise, though. His 108-inch broach jump rated just 32nd percentile for the position, according to Pro Football Focus' Marcus Mosher. And Boutte's 29-inch vertical rate an even worse second percentile. It was a rough day, but Boutte is still a productive early draft entrant who broke out as a freshman in the SEC. Look for a full breakdown as our Dynasty Fantasy Football Value series gets rolling.
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