We are on to Week 9, and for most dynasty teams, at this point in the season, we are either in contender or pretender mode. Once again I will try to bring you names off the beaten path that you can keep an eye on throughout the rest of the season or add to the end of your bench. This week we are going back to the struggling Patriots. The Patriots offense is not what I believe it will be in the coming weeks or the coming years, so we need to keep an eye on the options available within their team at the moment. We will take a look at our first rookie of this series, the undrafted wide receiver out of Mississippi State, Isaiah Zuber.
College Career
Isaiah Zuber had an interesting college career. After finishing his junior season at Kansas State, where he was the team’s leading receiver, he decided to enter the graduate transfer pool and found himself at Mississippi State University. While at K-State, Zuber had over 1300 yards and 11 touchdowns on 127 receptions. The issue is, after transferring and hip surgery, he only came up with 14 receptions for 211 yards and 2 touchdowns as a Bulldog. Not exactly what you were looking for from a prospect. The film he did put out was nice, and he showed his versatility as a receiver and a returner in the Big 12 and SEC.
2020 Season
Zuber found himself on a log jammed roster full of UDFAs this offseason and unproven types when he signed with the Patriots after the draft. Zuber was kept on the practice squad and has found himself active now four times this season. In those four appearances, he has only played over 9% of snaps once, which was only 12%. However, in all four appearances, he received a touch and made something of it. He is averaging 14.5 yds a catch and 10.5 yards per rush. Yes, it is an extremely small sample size, but he is showing burst and explosiveness that this offense simply does not possess.
It is also important to take note that Zuber has now exhausted his practice squad elevations and can only be promoted if he stays on the 53 man roster. Zuber is someone you can get dirt cheap and rightly so, he hasn’t been more than a blip on the radar. He is owned in 0% of leagues according to MyFantasyLeagues, and he is at least someone you can watch, especially if he is promoted to the active roster.
Future Outlook
Zuber’s future is tied to what the Patriots are set to become with uncertainty on offense so far in 2020 and beyond. The Patriots are sure to revamp the offense going forward, and with Julian Edelman already having surgery, this could be an opening for a player of Zuber’s caliber to build some trust with the coaching staff. He brings versatility that this staff and team value, whether it is in the kicking game or taking handoffs and screens. He has a speed element to his game that the Patriots currently do not have on the roster.
The skill positions on this team could use more from a player like Zuber who is quick and fast. The depth chart after Tuesday’s trade deadline made it slightly more of a hurdle for Zuber. The addition of Ford, who the Pats can retain as a restricted free agent next year, could be a sign that they will move on from others that play primarily in the slot. If Zuber can take advantage of his opportunities, he could be the next success story of an undrafted rookie who no one thought could make it coming out of New England.
The answer long term at the receiver position is probably not on the current roster, however, that does not mean Zuber could not become a valuable piece in this offense and a fantasy asset. Time will tell if Zuber can become more of a factor on Sundays, but it won’t cost you much to find out.
PREVIOUS DYNASTY SLEEPERS OF THE WEEK
Once again thanks for checking out this week’s Sleeper of the Week. I look forward to Week 9 action and finding you some more gems throughout the season. You can follow me at @Cmoney52 on Twitter. You can message me or shoot me a tweet if there are players you would like to be featured in this segment.
