Do Patriots Have Fantasy Football 'Sleeper'?

Could New England Patriots' quarterback Mac Jones emerge as a sharp Fantasy Football quarterback?

Fantasy Football fanatics have kept a close eye on NFL organized team activities, as rankings develop for the 2023 season. Looking for a relatively unknown or almost-forgotten player who unexpectedly emerges to blow up the scoreboard.

Which players could become as "sleepers" this season? Would you believe New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is among Sports Illustrated's "sleeper" quarterback picks?

Reasons SI:

Jones regressed badly last season, posting just 12.2 fantasy points a game as a sophomore. In his defense, he played without a true offensive coordinator. That won’t happen this season, as the Patriots added Bill O’Brien to fill that role. New England also added JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki in the offseason, so I can see Jones bouncing back in the stat sheets.

At OTAs and this week's minicamp in Foxboro, Jones has been sharp with some impressive highlights to tight end Hunter Henry. New England added a weapon this offseason in free-agent receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Of course, Jones' stock would also be greatly elevated if the Pats can land DeAndre Hopkins.

So far, so good. A good "fresh start" from last season's regression. 

In 2022 Jones suffered an ankle injury, lost his starting job to rookie Bailey Zappe, threw several temper tantrums on the field, was accused of being a "dirty" player by his peers and ultimately threw only 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

With a new-look roster and offensive coordinator, New England looks to rebound from that 8-9 campaign that left them out of the playoffs. The Patriots currently have long-odds (+235) to make the playoffs in 2023; the former kings of the AFC East are still looking to capture their first division title since 2016.

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