The New England Patriots are finally getting their most reliable receiver back on the field. After serving a four-game suspension to start the season, Julian Edelman will take the field on Thursday Night Football against the Indianapolis Colts. While Edelman has the potential to put up starting-caliber numbers, fantasy owners should be cautious about starting him in his first game back on the field.
Fantasy Football: Julian Edelman A Risky Week Five Start
Julian Edelman will be a starting caliber fantasy weapon, but just not in Week Five. Edelman, now age 32, hasn’t played a meaningful game in over a year. There’s no way to simulate game action, so the 5’-10” receiver will be rusty. Edelman’s hands were never the best, so drops could be a major issue on Thursday Night Football.
Additionally, Edelman is coming off of a torn ACL. Edelman’s game is built on quick, lateral movement requiring sharp cuts. Right now, it’s anyone’s guess if Edelman can still make those types of moves. He looked good in the preseason, which is obviously encouraging. That said, doing it at full speed over the course of an entire game is a lot different than doing it for small portions of four meaningless games.
Lastly, the Patriots are on a short week, meaning that they have even less time than normal to develop and implement a game plan. While Edelman is more familiar with the offense than perhaps anyone outside of Brady, it will still take time for him to catch up to the subtle differences in the 2018 Patriots playbook.
Additionally, the coaches will need time to figure out what Edelman can and cannot do and how they can incorporate him into the wide receiver rotation. Edelman will definitely play in Week Five and could even start. That said, don’t expect him to put up massive numbers in his first game back.
Edelman In the Future
Just because Edelman probably won’t shine in his first week back doesn’t mean can’t be a valuable part of your fantasy team. Nobody can deny that Julian Edelman is more than capable of putting up WR2 numbers, especially in a PPR league. Edelman is one of the shiftiest receivers in football, the heir to Wes Welker in the Patriots offense. Edelman has one of the most complete route trees in all of football and is capable of consistently getting open in the short and intermediate parts of the field.
Most importantly, Edelman shares fantastic chemistry with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The Patriots offense is one of the most complex units in the league, requiring receivers to read the defense the exact same way as Brady. Not every receiver is capable of doing this, but Edelman is one of them. Any time Brady needs a first down, he’ll turn to Edelman.
Additionally, Edelman won’t have to compete for snaps with anyone. Josh Gordon is the only other starting-caliber receiver on the Patriots roster, and he plays a dramatically different role than Edelman. Phillip Dorsett and Chris Hogan are nothing more than role players and Edelman should beat them for snaps immediately.
Last Word on Julian Edelman
Julian Edelman is going have his chance to make plays for the Patriots offense. He’s easily the best short and intermediate option the Patriots have, and their offense runs through players like Edelman. Judging by the preseason, it looks like Edelman’s ACL injury hasn’t taken away his lateral movement or his quick acceleration. Edelman and Brady share a mind meld, and Brady has shown over the years that he will always target players he can trust. If you held on to Julian Edelman through the first four weeks of the season, you will be rewarded for your patience.
However, he’s not a smart Week Five start. Edelman hasn’t played in a meaningful game since Super Bowl LI and will certainly have some rust. It’s impossible to know exactly how good his knee actually is until he plays in meaningful games. Additionally, he only has four days to get acclimated with the offense before New England takes on the Indianapolis Colts.
If you’re looking for a good time to plug in Edelman, you only need to wait until Week Six. The Patriots will have ten days off before returning to Foxboro to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. This game promises to be a shootout, Edelman will have gotten his feet wet in Week Five, and the coaching staff, knowing what version of Julian Edelman they have, will have plenty of time to incorporate his skill set into the gameplan.
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