New England Patriots: 5 must-draft players in fantasy football

– Mike Gillislee

One of the top options for fantasy owners to draft this upcoming season will be Patriots running back Mike Gillislee. The Patriots made the decision to go with Gillislee this offseason despite LeGarrette Blount totaling 1,000 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. This should be a clear indication of what the Patriots believe Gillislee can be. If the Patriots believe it, so should you.

Last season, Gillislee was able to make a name for himself on the Buffalo Bills. As the backup to LeSean McCoy, Gillislee was able to total 577 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. The most impressive stat for Gillislee was his 5.7 yards per carry average.

If he even sustains a 4.7 yards per carry average, he would be considered an elite running back in the league. While we don’t know for sure how many carries Gillislee will get, we know he will be the goal line back for the Patriots. Considering that Blount was a great fantasy running back with his 18 rushing touchdowns last season, owners can expect 10 rushing touchdowns to arguably be Gillislee’s floor.

Finding running backs in fantasy can be a very difficult thing to do. With the game shifting away from every-down backs, a guy like Gillislee has a huge upside for owners.