The New England Patriots signed running back Mike Gillislee from the Buffalo Bills, with the expectation that he would fill LeGarrette Blount’s old role as the goal line/short-yardage back. So far, they’ve been using Gillislee in that spot, although he hasn’t been quite as effective.
Fantasy football Week 5: Mike Gillislee, start or sit?
The Patriots’ short-yardage runner hasn’t found the end zone since Week 2. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Through four games, Gillislee has 57 carries for just 194 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per carry. He does have four touchdowns on the year, but three of those came in the season opener and he hasn’t found the end zone since Week 2. Last week, he was held to 49 yards on 12 carries as the Patriots dropped a home game to the Carolina Panthers. Splitting time with James White and Dion Lewis, Gillislee has been a non-factor in the passing game with zero targets so far.
Fantasy impact: Gillislee still has volume working in his favor, averaging 14.25 carries per game, but his efficiency has sharply fallen from his days in Buffalo, when he had 5.7 yards per carry in two seasons.
The Patriots have struggled to a 2-2 start, but the offense hasn’t been one of their big problems and there is still fantasy potential to be had here. Gillislee hasn’t lived up to the hype as a difference-maker, but he figures to get his usual workload against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night. Tampa is giving up the ninth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this year, making Gillislee a risky RB2 option on a short week.
Recommendation: Start if you’re desperate
