Phillip Dorsett (WR, NE) - Fantasy Football Draft Values

BALLER MOVE: Target ~150

CURRENT ADP: ~270

ANALYSIS: At the start of 2017, Dorsett was traded to the Patriots in exchange for Jacoby Brissett. Colts clearly won this trade as Brissett kept the team respectable, even with a terrible record, and Dorsett sat behind a lot of other players until injuries opened up playing time but without a return on that time played.

Reports from the Patriots’ camp have Dorsett working on more than being a go route type of player. A lot of his routes ran last year resulted in deep routes, where he was regularly overlooked as the fifth, if not sixth option; only receiving more playing time when Chris Hogan injured his shoulder.

This year, the receiving and running back corps has been completely revamped. Notable names gone are Brandon Cooks, Kenny Britt, Danny Amendola, and Dion Lewis. Notable arrivals include Cordarelle Patterson and Sony Michel. Some target opportunities may be taken by both, particularly Sony Michel, but while Edelman is suspended, Dorsett holds value as the #2 on this team, and even number #3 on the outside when Edelman returns to his slot position. Opportunity knocks for Dorsett to the tune of 246 targets!

And no one wants to see an injury, but Edelman and Hogan have battled injuries that have taken up chunks of their careers. Also, Hogan is now 30 years old, and Edelman is 32, not ideal for receivers. Dorsett can receive more starts if issues arise, and can very well become a reliable target for Brady. A perfect season for Dorsett is fulfilling his rookie year hype of being Brandon Cooks-esque. He has a 2017 Chris Hogan floor and a Brandon Cooks type ceiling. Expect a good first four weeks out of the gate as he has continued to develop more trust with Brady.

Look at the Patriots preseason game versus the Carolina Panthers. Brady found Dorsett on a screen, a crossing route, and threw him four targets where he caught all four. The Patriots have been working on Dorset’s route tree and we are seeing the culmination of that so far. Bold call says he is in flex consideration for at least the first four weeks and remains a viable fill-in through the season with a ceiling into WR3 territory. Look for a reasonable 60/750/5 stat line from Dorsett this year, putting him at an expected WR32 finish.