Pending free agent WR Kendrick Bourne, who tore his ACL in October, says he plans to be a "full go" for training camp and to play Week 1. (Source: Mike Garafolo on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Bourne played eight games in 2023, catching 37 passes for 406 yards and four touchdowns. Despite playing in just half of their games, Bourne finished fifth, third and second on the team in those categories, respectively, in an offense that struggled to produce through the air. Bourne said he and the team are in talks on a reunion, though he's not yet committed.
New England Patriots WR DeVante Parker was limited in practice again on Thursday due to a rib injury. (Source: patriots.com)
Fantasy Impact: Parker has not been the most reliable fantasy option, but then again, no WR has been in New England outside of a few pop games here and there. He has just 388 yards in 12 games this season, a mark on pace to be the second-lowest tally of his career behind his 11-game 2018 campaign in Miami. He's not a relevant fantasy option in Week 18.
Patriots TE Hunter Henry is officially inactive for a Week 17 matchup with Buffalo.
Fantasy Impact: Henry was listed as questionable with a knee injury and will miss his second straight game. The Patriots’ offense is void of reliable weapons, so they will definitely miss Henry’s presence against the Bills.
JuJu Smith-Schuster has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills. (Source: Phil Perry on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Smith-Schuster will be sidelined after he missed practice on Friday. DeMario Douglas should see some more targets in his absence.
Kayshon Boutte was back at practice on Friday. (Source: Chris Mason on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Boutte was sidelined from practice on Thursday, but it didn't appear to be related to an injury. He should be good to play on Sunday, but he remains off the fantasy radar.
Ezekiel Elliott returned to practice on Friday. (Source: Chris Mason on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Elliott is sidelined at practice on Thursday due to an illness. He should be back in his lead role on Sunday as an RB2 for fantasy managers.
New England Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson has been placed on the team's injured reserve list, effectively ending his season. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Stevenson had been working through an ankle injury and, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, was close to a return. However, given the Patriots' position as a franchise (in line for a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft), it made more sense to sit their RB1 to let him heal for next season. He finished his junior season with 857 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns in 12 games. Ezekiel Elliott will take charge in Weeks 17 and 18.
Tyquan Thornton (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. (Source: Mike Reiss on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The Patriots may be without Thornton on Sunday as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury that he recently suffered. He has yet to have a game with over 20 receiving yards this year, so he is off of the fantasy radar for now and his possible absence won't carry any major implications for fantasy purposes.
Patriots' coach Bill Belichick said Demario Douglas has cleared the concussion protocol and will be available this weekend barring a setback. (Source: Chris Mason on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Douglas returned to practice earlier this week for the first time since he suffered his concussion in Week 12. He had started to take over the No. 1 role for New England prior to his injury, catching five passes in four straight games. He will be in the WR3 range this week.
Patriots OL Trent Brown is officially inactive for a Week 10 matchup with the Colts.
Fantasy Impact: Brown will miss his second straight game with an ankle injury. The Patriots will likely turn to Vederian Lowe to make the start at left tackle. Without Brown protecting Mac Jones and helping in the Patriots’ running game, fantasy managers should expect a slight drop in production against a solid Colts’ defense Sunday.
The Patriots have officially placed LB Matthew Judon on injured reserve. (Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter )
Fantasy Impact: Judon underwent biceps surgery recently as pond is expected to miss at least two months. The Patriots will likely look to rookie Marte Mapu to fill Judon’s spot on defense.
Christian Gonzalez has a torn labrum and is likely to miss the remainder of the season. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Gonzalez went down with a shoulder injury during Sunday's blowout loss to the Cowboys, and now it's officially being diagnosed as a dislocated shoulder that resulted in a torn labrum. This is not good news, and he's reportedly likely to miss the rest of the season. The Patriots have already begun to compensate for his absence, making a trade to bring back former Pro-Bowler J.C. Jackson from the Chargers.
Marcus Jones (shoulder) has been placed on New England's injured reserve. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Jones tore his labrum during Sunday's loss to the Dolphins and will be placed on the team's injured reserve because of it. He will have to be out for the next four games at the very least, and he may very well miss more time beyond that. This is another tough blow for New England's secondary, but they still should continue to be one of the best defenses in the NFL moving forward.
Mike Gesicki is not on the Patriots Week 1 injury report. (Source: Patriots.com)
Fantasy Impact: Gesicki had been dealing with a separated shoulder in the middle of August, but he appears to be back to being fully healthy. It will likely be Gesicki and Hunter Henry splitting snaps in New England this season.
Ty Montgomery made his return to practice for the Patriots on Tuesday. (Source: Chad Graff on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Montgomery has been sidelined from practice for the past couple of weeks because of a leg injury that he suffered, but he has since returned to practice and is participating with the rest of the team. His fantasy upside seems very limited right now with Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliot playing above him on the depth chart, but he could find some streamer value in PPR formats if the team utilizes him as a pass catcher.
Sun, Aug 20th 11:53am EDT
By Andersen Pickard
Saturday's preseason game between the Patriots and Packers was suspended in the fourth quarter after New England cornerback Isaiah Bolden suffered a neck injury while attempting to make a play. Bolden was carted off the field and transported to a local hospital. According to an announcement, Bolden was released from the hospital Sunday morning and will fly back to Massachusetts with the team. (Source: Adam Schefter)
Fantasy Impact: Due to the abrupt suspension of Saturday's game, the Patriots have cancelled their joint practices with the Titans. They will instead practice in New England before traveling to Tennessee on Thursday ahead of Friday's preseason finale. As for Bolden, it's a great sign that he can return home with the team, but he'll surely undergo additional medical evaluation over the next few days. He made three tackles prior to exiting Saturday's game.
Jonnu Smith has officially been ruled for the Patriots' Week 18 matchup with Buffalo. (Source: Patriots on Twitter )
Fantasy Impact: Smith will miss his second straight game after suffering a concussion in Week 16 against Cincinnati. Fantasy managers should expect Hunter Henry to see additional work in a must win game for New England. Henry currently ranks as the TE19 in ECR, according to FantasyPros.
Jakobi Meyers has been listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bills. (Source: Patriots.com)
Fantasy Impact: Meyers was limited in practice all week. He will be a fringe WR3 play this week in PPR leagues assuming he plays.
The Patriots placed Jack Jones on injured reserve on Saturday, ending his rookie season. (Source: Mike Giardi on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Jones made a big impact in the Patriots secondary in his rookie season. He recorded two interceptions and forced one fumble. He'll look to return to another big role next season for New England.
Damien Harris (thigh) will play in Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins. (Source: Chad Graff on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Harris has been out since Week 12 due to a thigh injury, but he has been removed from the team's injury report and won't have a designation for Sunday. He's set to play against the Dolphins on New Years Day, and he could be the team's clear RB1 if Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) is ruled out ahead of game time.
