Sorry, Tony. Sony Michel doesn’t suck, nor blow. He proved the haters wrong (myself included), by putting the Patriots offense on his back and showing he was worth a first round pick as a legitimate workhorse. All the former Bulldog did was carry the ball an obscene 71 times in the three playoff games to the tune of 336 yards and six scores — a 4.7 ypc average. Throughout the playoffs, Bill Belichick and the Patriots once again showed that they’re playing chess, while the rest of the league is playing checkers.
Instead of lining up in multi-wide receiver sets, the Patriots utilized a heavy dose of 21-personnel, which featured a fullback and one tight end. They used their mauling offensive line and James Develin to create running lanes for the rookie running back. Opposing defenses were stuck in smaller nickel packages, which showed why Belichick used his two first rounders on a running back and an offensive lineman.
So, what does this mean for Michel’s 2019 fantasy outlook? First, he’ll get a gigantic boost from The Wolf’s 2019 Big Board from the RB26 spot and possibly up into his top 15 running backs. Michel’s extreme usage will also hurt James White’s outlook, along with Tom Brady’s. Also, keep an eye on the free agency status of Trent Brown, who was arguably last year’s greatest off-season acquisition for the Patriots and is due for a major pay day.
