New England Patriots

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (knee) is set to begin training camp on the PUP list. Bourne is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in October of 2023. Before his injury, Bourne was on his way to a mini breakout with 406 receiving yards and four touchdowns in eight games. Given the timeline of his injury, Bourne should be ready for thestart of the season, but don't expect him to display the same level of production. Players in their first year removed from an ACL injury tend not to fare well statistically. Not to mention, this projects to be a bottom-half offense with a potential rookie quarterback. Bourne is mainly an option in deep-league formats.

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (undisclosed) was placed on the active/NFI list to start training camp. The 26-year-old was added to the Patriots backfield as a depth piece and potential third-down running back. Gibson has been relatively durable throughout his career. He has played in at least 15 games in three straight seasons. Players are often placed on the NFI list during training camp, so this could turn out to be nothing, but it is worth monitoring. Gibson had a career-low in carries (65), rushing yards (265), and rushing touchdowns (1) in 2023 as he ceded the starting running back job to Brian Robinson Jr. Gibson is joining a Patriots team amid a considerable rebuild, especially on offense. Gibson's skills as a pass-catcher should come in handy in 2024, but the presence of incumbent Rhamondre Stevenson will likely once again limit Gibson's rushing upside. Generally, running backs on bad offense perform poorly for fantasy, so it may be best to look in another direction as you build out RB depth during your draft.

When asked about the team's quarterback competition at the start of training camp, New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said, "Coming out of spring, I think it's clear Jacoby Brissett is the most pro-ready guy we have." Even though the Patriots selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick in April's NFL draft, the expectation all along was that Brissett, a 31-year-old veteran, would open the 2024 regular season as the starter under center while Maye sits and learns on the sidelines. "I don't think there's any doubt," Mayo went on to say when asked if Brissett was the starting QB for training camp. Maye will probably end up playing later on in his first NFL season, but early on it will be Brissett leading an offense without many playmakers. With limited weapons in the passing game and a shaky offensive line, Brissett is a desperation QB2 in superflex leagues in 2024.

New England Patriots running back Terrell Jennings (undisclosed) was placed on the active/Physically Unable to Perform list on Friday. The 23-year-old signed with the Pats as an undrafted free agent. He appeared in 44 collegiate contests at Florida A&M, totaling 1,860 yards and 24 touchdowns off 383 carries. Jennings can practice once he's cleared to return. But even if he somehow makes the team, he's not expected to surpass Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson (among others) for touches, meaning he won't see much interest from fantasy managers.

The state of Louisiana has dropped the underage gambling and computer-fraud charges against New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, according to Boutte's attorney. Boutte was arrested in January after he was alleged to have taken part in illegal sports betting during his time in college at LSU. It's great news for the 22-year-old that charges have been dropped, as he now is unlikely to be suspended in 2024 by the NFL. The Patriots selected Boutte in the sixth round (187th overall) last year, and he finished his rookie year in the NFL with just two catches on seven targets for 19 yards in five games played. New England's pass-catching corps is looking for someone to step up in a starting role in head coach Jerod Mayo's first year at the helm in 2024, but Boutte will have to perform in training camp to earn his spot on the active roster heading into Week 1.