SonyMichel

News: 4 days agoDespite being eased into the mix early on due to knee maintenance, Michel "has clearly been the (Patriots') lead back throughout camp," Jeff Howe of the Athletic reports.

Spin: Howe notes that the second-year back has displayed "good burst between the tackles and seems to have a good eye for the cutback lanes." Additionally, Michel has had good results in practices when targeted by QB Tom Brady. Though Michel is no threat to supplant James White in terms of pass-catching prominence out of the team's backfield, any aptitude he displays in that facet of the game will help him see more touches, and in turn make the Patriots' offense less predictable. Last season, Michel was targeted just 11 times (he caught seven passes for 50 yards) in 13 games, making that an area of his game where there's ample room for statistical growth. When healthy, Michel clearly tops the team's running back depth chart, and he has the upside to generate plenty of strong fantasy stat lines. That said, with weekly variance in carry allotment dictated by game flow and matchup-specific game plans, in any given outing he could lose work to White, the versatile Rex Burkhead and third-round pick Damien Harris.