Patriots TE Jonnu Smith left in the 2nd quarter of Week 4 with an ankle injury. He limped off to the locker room and is officially questionable to return.
Patriots HC Bill Belichick said TE Jonnu Smith had a "really good offseason." Smith was a major disappointment in his Pats debut last year, but he drew positive buzz throughout the summer and notably matched TE Hunter Henry in snaps and routes in the preseason finale. "His fundamentals and technique look good," Belichick said "He's put himself in position I think to go out and play well." Smith is worth a look late in fantasy drafts of 18+ rounds and should be on your waiver-wire watch list.
Patriots QB Mac Jones and the 1st-team offense had another rough outing in Friday night's preseason finale. Jones completed 9 of 13 passes for 71 yards (5.5 YPA), 0 TDs and 1 INT across 4 series. The possessions went: 3-and-out, INT, 3-and-out, FG. The offense reportedly struggled throughout training camp, too, looking uncomfortable in the Josh McDaniels-less system. Pass protection has also been a problem. It'll be tough to trust any piece of this Patriots passing game in early-season fantasy lineups.
There have been multiple reports of Patriots TE Jonnu Smith showing well in training camp workouts. Sounds like new QBs coach Joe Judge is a fan. "He had a terrific offseason for us," Judge said, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. The crowd of pass-catchers in New England is the biggest concern, limiting the opportunity for a guy who got a 4-year, $50 million deal in free agency last offseason. Reiss, at least, says the mere 18% of plays that put both Smith and Hunter Henry on the field last year should increase this season. Smith might still need a Henry injury to be usable outside of best-ball fantasy football leagues.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith is soaking up all the reps he can get in OTAs after missing time last offseason. “My [2021 offseason] was choppy and I missed some quality time here. I recognize how valuable that time is. I’m here to take advantage of that," Smith said Monday. After inking a 4-year, $50 million deal with New England last year, Smith's 2021 campaign was a disaster. He turns just 27 in August, though, and is at least worth keeping an eye on this summer.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (shoulder) is active for tonight's game vs. the Falcons. He's not a fantasy option but does put a small dent in TE Hunter Henry's profile.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Falcons. He's not a fantasy option, but his absence would be a boost for TE Hunter Henry.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (shoulder) is inactive for today's game vs. the Browns. Hopefully you weren't planning on using him. Smith's absence could mean an extra target or 2 for TE Hunter Henry.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (shoulder) is active for today’s game vs. the Chargers. He was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable, so don’t expect him to be at 100% today.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (shoulder) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Chargers. Smith shouldn’t be in your Week 8 fantasy plans, but his absence would be a boost to TE Hunter Henry.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (shoulder) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. That seemingly puts him on track to play vs. the Chargers this weekend. Smith seemed to be a big part of New England's Week 7 game plan, racking up 5 targets and a carry before exiting in the 1st half. But he still can't be trusted in Week 8 fantasy lineups.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith injured his shoulder in the 1st half of Sunday's game vs. the Jets and did not return. We'll look for an update on his status.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (hip) is active for today’s game vs. the Jets. He was added to the injury report on Thursday, limited in the final 2 practices of the week and listed as questionable. So Smith carries elevated risk in fantasy lineups today.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (hip) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Jets. He was added to the injury report on Thursday and limited in the final 2 practices of the week. Smith ran a route on just 45% of pass plays in the opener, so he was a shaky fantasy play even before this injury. TE Hunter Henry’s Week 2 projection will get a big boost if Smith is out.
The Patriots added TE Jonnu Smith to the injury report Thursday. He was limited by a hip issue. We'll see whether that's something to worry about heading into Sunday's visit to the Jets.
The Patriots have surprisingly released QB Cam Newton, according to multiple reports. We wouldn't have been shocked to see the team name Mac Jones its Week 1 starter, but we certainly did not foresee New England unloading Newton completely. Jones graded out among the top passers across the league in preseason, according to Pro Football Focus. His ascension should be good news for the fantasy outlooks for basically everyone in the New England offense. It signals a more traditional scheme as opposed to last year's run-heavy approach. It returns lead status near the goal line to Damien Harris and the RBs. And it should mean more -- and more accurate -- targets for all pass-catchers. We're not overly interested in Jones as a fantasy football prospect, but Jakobi Meyers, Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor and James White all gain some late-round appeal. RB Damien Harris also gets a bump. Check out the updated projections for the Patriots.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith (ankle) was a full participant in Monday's practice, according to NESN's Zack Cox. Smith was sidelined for a week, but we can now cross him off the list of injured played to worry about.
Patriots TE Jonnu Smith sprained his left ankle in Sunday’s practice. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that it’s a low-ankle sprain. “No firm timetable on his return, but based on the initial diagnosis, it isn’t considered a serious injury,” Reiss says. We’ll see how long Smith sits. Hunter Henry, of course, is already out with a shoulder injury. So New England suddenly looks thin — for the moment — at TE. That means opportunity for a WR corps without much separation so far.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Patriots TE Hunter Henry is expected to miss "a couple of weeks" with his shoulder injury. Schefter adds, though, that it's "not serious." We'll see whether any more info comes out on the injury itself. But it's the Patriots, so don't hold your breath. Henry's absence can only help the opportunity for TE Jonnu Smith.
According to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, Patriots TE Jonnu Smith is “on the short list of top-performing Patriots through 10 days of training camp.” Smith has bought into a versatile role with the Pats. “I’m just excited to be able to use my ability to its fullest potential. Even touch some areas where maybe I do some things I’ve never done before,” he said. "Kind of scratch the surface here and see what lies beneath.” Smith’s ability to play multiple spots makes the addition of Hunter Henry less worrisome. The former Titan is currently being drafted at a very fair TE15 in FFPC best balls.
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