The New England Patriots look to bounce back in a Week 2 AFC East tilt against the Miami Dolphins. Last week New England played the Philadelphia Eagles close ultimately losing 25-20. Among their new free agent additions, RB Ezekiel Elliot made his Patriot debut and got some touches against a stout Eagles defense.
Fantasy Football analysis: Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott
The former Cowboy posted 7 carries for 29 yards while also catching 5 passes for 14 yards and a lost fumble. Elliot is splitting time aside RB-1 Rhamondre Stevenson who is expected to get a bulk of the carries again this week.
Start or sit in Week 2 PPR leagues?
Yes, with some risk Elliot could potentially find the endzone this week. Although the Dolphins allowed Austin Ekeler to rush for 117 yards and Joshua Kelly to run for 91 yards last week, Elliot at this point of his career is still a risky FLEX play. The five catches from Zeke was something new and depending on if you’re in an 8-10 team league, may hold value. However, he is no more than a last-minute injury replacement FLEX type of play. In a deeper PPR league (10-12 teams) Elliot is a courageous FLEX play that could pay dividends, but expect Miami’s run defense to have a better effort.
Start or sit in Week 2 standard leagues?
No. As mentioned prior, the Dolphins had a rough week against the run but in 2022 they were the 4th-best defense versus allowing only 103 rushing yards a game. Even if he gets a goal-line TD, Elliot has not rushed for more than 37 yards since last December.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Ezekiel Elliott
DKN NFL Editor Chet Gresham has Elliot ranked as the RB34 for Week 2. A few names that will have a higher guaranteed workload are A.J. Dillion, Zack Moss, and Gus Edwards. If you can get your hands on either, they all are better plays at FLEX than Elliot. All three may carry high-end RB-1 status come Sunday due to injuries on their respective rosters.