Julian Edelman Injury Update Erases Fantasy Outlook Going Forward

New England Patriots star wide receiver Julian Edelman hasn't looked healthy all year. Always seemingly playing through bumps and bruises, Edelman has a knee issue that kept him out of Wednesday's team practice.

And it seems like it could keep him on the shelf a lot longer than that, as he's reportedly expected to miss some time. Edelman was one of three players we recommended dropping in fantasy football prior to this news, but this seals it. The slot WR can safely be dropped in most formats.

Julian Edelman Fantasy Outlook

There's nothing concrete about Edelman's status quite yet, but he appears to be a lock to miss Week 8, and potentially beyond. It's pretty much impossible to justify stashing Edelman through a potential multi-week absence given how ineffective he, and the Patriots' offense, have been since Week 3.

Edelman looked like his usual, squirrelly self over the first two weeks of the season, turning 9.0 targets into 6.5 catches for 118.0 yards per game. Since then, however, those averages have fallen to 5.3 targets for 2.0 catches and 19.8 receiving yards per game through four appearances.

Whether it's due to a lack of chemistry with Cam Newton, lingering injury issues, or New England's offensive struggles, Edelman just hasn't produced. And there's not much evidence that suggests he'll turn back the clock any time soon.

Edelman's fantasy value in the past was predicated on seeing absurd volume, averaging 132.2 targets per year from 2013-19. That made him a real asset in PPR formats. But he's only on pace for 84.0 since Week 3. Targeting receivers who primarily work underneath that have volume concerns is not a recipe for fantasy success.

He does have some upside remaining if he gets healthy and New England somehow rights the ship. But the opportunity cost of keeping him through a multi-game absence is not worth it.

Edelman is droppable. And you shouldn't have much trouble finding a WR with a better short- and long-term fantasy outlook on the waiver wire.

GET AN INSTANT DEPOSIT BONUS UP TO 500! We'll match 20% of your first deposit on FanDuel Fantasy Sports. Max bonus $500

Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.