New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman returned to practice on Friday, according to Doug Kyed of NESN.
Julian Edelman returns to practice, fantasy status must be monitored rest of season
In a surprising move, the Patriots’ slot receiver returned to practice on Friday. We break down the fantasy implications.
It had been speculated that Edelman would not return to the field until the postseason due to a fractured foot, but his presence on the practice field in preparation for Week 14 changes that outlook. It is common for Bill Belichick to get injured players into practice more than a week in advance of their target return dates, so Edelman should still be considered highly doubtful to suit up on Sunday against the Houston Texans.
Fantasy impact: If anything, fantasy owners now need to be monitoring Edelman's status for every week of the fantasy playoffs. If he takes the field at any capacity, it would have a direct effect on Danny Amendola, who had soaked up much of Edelman's snaps as well as his targets. James White would also likely see a downgrade in fantasy value after the running back was targeted 13 times in Week 13's loss to the Eagles.
For now, Edelman can be left on benches with a Sunday night game coming up against the Texans, but he needs to be added in all formats if owners prematurely placed him on waivers. Amendola remains in the WR2 conversation while White presents flex value in PPR leagues.
