Fantasy Football: Damien Harris deemed FLEX player by ESPN
By Bryan Perez
Former Alabama running back Damien Harris is blocked by Sony Michel in the Patriots backfield and may have limited upside as a fantasy football contributor in 2019.
The New England Patriots run to the Super Bowl last season was spearheaded by 2018 first-round pick Sony Michel in the playoffs. The former Georgia Bulldog ended the regular season with 931 yards and six touchdowns, but really proved his value in the playoffs when he ran wild for 336 yards and six scores in three games.
Michel had 94 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ Super Bowl victory over the Rams.
And that’s why New England’s selection of Alabama RB Damien Harris in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft was pretty surprising. It’s not that Harris wasn’t worthy of a third-round pick; many draft analysts thought he’d come off the board in Round 2. But with Michel trending in the right direction, it seemed like an unnecessary use of a high draft asset.
That said, Michel’s history of knee injuries — including an offseason procedure that forced him to the PUP list at the start of training camp — suggests Bill Belichick and the Patriots are at least a little bit concerned about his durability and ability to play a full 16 games.
In the world of fantasy football, Harris’ presence in New England’s backfield is a double-negative. Not only does it hurt Michel’s value, but it also limits Harris’ maximum upside.
According to ESPN, that max upside is so limited that Harris should be viewed as a FLEX option for the upcoming season.
FLEX players are usually guys who don’t make the cut to be traditional fantasy starters. It suggests Harris will rank somewhere outside the top 24 scorers at his position.
“Michel did miss three games last season, and had a knee scope earlier in the summer. That could open a door for Harris to get some early-down touches in the Patriots offense if Michel does have some limitations to start the season,” ESPN’s Matt Bowen wrote. “Plus, this New England team wants to run the rock in the red zone.
“Given Harris’ play style and his ability to catch the ball, he could still find his way into a flex role this season in deeper, 12-team leagues using either PPR or non-PPR scoring. And the draft value is there, given Harris’ current ADP.”