Julian Edelman

The NFL denied Julian Edelman's appeal of his four-game suspension on Tuesday. He will miss the first four games of the season.

Fantasy Impact

Although there was some thought that Edelman could have his suspension at least reduced, it was not to be. He will miss games against the Texans, Jaguars, Lions, and Dolphins. Chris Hogan will likely benefit substantially, but Rob Gronkowski should see an even higher share of targets in Edelman's absence. Edelman should return as a WR2 immediately after his suspension ends, so don't dock him too far in your draft rankings.

NFL.com is reporting that Julian Edelman's appeal on his four-game suspension will be heard on Monday.

Fantasy Impact

It sounds like we'll have clarity on his four-game suspension today, though we're fully expecting that he'll have to serve the suspension. There are many players who come out afterwards and say that they were taking something they didn't know was illegal, but Edelman didn't say anything like that. He said, "I am very sorry -- I don't know what happened. I've taken many, many tests obviously over the course of my career, and nothing like this has ever happened." We'll continue to update this story throughout the process.

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for violating the league's performance enhancing drugs policy.

Fantasy Impact

He's appealing the suspension, but as most players learn, it's not likely to change. This is a massive blow to a now 32-year-old wide receiver who is trying to make his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered last preseason. You also have to wonder if this is the reason the Patriots signed Jordan Matthews late in the free agency process, as he can likely fill the void left by Edelman. All of a sudden, Chris Hogan looks more and more like a WR2 to start the season, though his production would dip when Edelman returned to the lineup. As for Edelman, he's someone who shouldn't be drafted as a top-50 wide receiver, as the first four weeks of the season are the most important when it comes to waiver wire acquisition.

Patriots WR Julian Edelman has a complete ACL tear in his right knee after MRI results came back.

Fantasy Impact

This news means Edelman will be out for the season. Chris Hogan gets a big bump in targets as he should move into Edelman's role. Hogan should be considered in all fantasy drafts as he could have a breakout year with the additional targets.

After suffering an injury in the Patriots' third preseason game, Julian Edelman is believed to have torn his ACL.

Fantasy Impact

This is a huge blow for teams that drafted Edelman before today. Rob Gronkowski is the clear beneficiary in light of this injury assuming it's confirmed that he has in fact torn his ACL. Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan should also see their value increase while Brandin Cooks may not see much change as he's primarily a deep threat.