Week 6 at Las Vegas Raiders
Week 3 is starting to look like an outlier for Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott has settled into his role with the Patriots of seeing about 6-8 attempts for about 30 yards. He’s nothing more than a borderline flex option from this point as the Patriots still try to salvage Rhamondre Stevenson’s season.
Week 5 vs. New Orleans Saints
We thought maybe a game against his former team would give Ezekiel Elliott a little boost. Nope. 22 yards on eight touches. Rhamondre Stevenson is still the RB1 in New England, though the Patriots have struggled overall to get things going on the ground. And now the Patriots face a Saints team that is 11th in the league against the run. Elliott is a borderline Flex option this week. The volume isn't always there and the offense as a whole has struggled in general.
Week 4 at Dallas Cowboys
We’ve got ourselves a little reunion this week as Ezekiel Elliott returns to Dallas to face his former team. And he comes in riding some momentum after rushing for 80 yards on 16 carries against a really good Jets defense. The Cowboys certainly have a great defense of their own but if Elliott is going to continue getting more work and turning this backfield into a committee, he’s going to creep up into being worth a look at your Flex position.
Week 3 at New York Jets
Ezekiel Elliott is clearly the No. 2 back in New England, which we expected heading into the season. He has just 12 carries and 17 total touches through two games. That's about the pace we can expect going forward. Going up against the Jets makes his outlook this week even more difficult. You're almost banking on him scoring a touchdown to grab a fantasy-relevant day. He's borderline on the flex line, but worthy of staying on the bench.
Week 2 vs. Miami Dolphins
Ezekiel Elliott saw seven carries in his first game as a Patriot. As we thought, he'll get the short-yardage carries, but did have a couple of nice runs out of his seven carries. He also caught five passes, so maybe New England will use him as more than just a plodding running back. The game script did get a little wonky with New England quickly trailing 16-0 against the Eagles. If Sunday's game is closer, expect Rhamondre Stevenson to get more work, so we're not rushing yet to put Elliott into our starting lineups.
Week 1 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
New year, new team for Ezekiel Elliott as he makes his Patriots debut Sunday against his old foes from his Dallas days, the Eagles. Zeke landed in a good spot in New England as he can take the short-yardage role and spell Rhamondre Stevenson. He knows all too well how stout the Eagles can be up front, making this a tough matchup for the newest Patriot. It will be interesting to see how the Patriots use the two backs but for now, proceed with caution with Elliott. Might be best to keep him on the bench for now.
Fantasy Upside
Ezekiel Elliott goes from being a Cowboy to a Patriot. Sounds quite American of him. He actually lands in a good situation given what he is at this stage of his career, a 28-year-old running back that can still help in pass protection and short-yardage situations. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he gets 100-150 carries for the Patriots and maybe vultures a couple touchdowns from Rhamondre Stevenson. Stevenson is still RB1 in New England and will still get third-down work, but the Patriots didn’t bring in Zeke to ride the bench.
Fantasy Downside
Elliott isn’t a workhorse back anymore. We’ve seen him lose a step in Dallas, and not just from him getting blasted at the end of the playoff game against the 49ers. No one is expecting him to get 20 carries a game. His fantasy value will likely be dependent on him getting those goal line opportunities and touchdowns.
2023 Bottom Line
Zeke is nothing fancy anymore. He’s a plodding, aging running back, but one that can still get the tough yards the Patriots will need in games. He won’t be a major fantasy player, but he could steal a few touchdowns. He’s a risky flex, at best, but worth a handcuff selection.
Week 17 at Tennessee Titans
All Ezekiel Elliott does is score touchdowns. I don't care if he's splitting touches or not putting up 100 yard games anymore, he is producing. logging 16 rushes for 55 yards and a score, Elliott also caught one pass for six yards.
The Titans have been solid against the run this year, ranking second in rushing yards allowed and third in rushing touchdowns allowed, however, Elliott has been consistent since returning from injury. Dallas should have plenty of chances to score in this one, so let's hope Elliott stumbles into the end zone once more. Start him as a back-end RB2.
Week 16 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Collecting less touches than his counterpart in Pollard, Ezekiel Elliott still put together another good fantasy performance. Carrying the ball 16 times for 58 yards and a score, he also caught two balls for 13 yards.
With Dallas possibly relying on the run game this week, Elliott should have plenty of opportunities. Philadelphia allowed over 100 rushing yards last week to Chicago and I think there's a good chance Dallas tops that this week. Elliott is a back end RB2 this week.
Week 13 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Ezekiel Elliott has been consistently good since returning from injury. Rushing the ball 15 times for 62 yards and a touchdown last week, he also added three catches for 19 yards. The usage with him and Pollard is more even now, however, Elliott appears to still be getting the valuable goal line looks.
Similarly to Pollard, Elliott should find success on the ground in this matchup. Dallas should score plenty in this one, giving Elliott ample opportunities to punch one in. Start him as an RB2 with upside this week.
