The Patriots backfield is one of the key questions of the preseason, with some putting their chips in on Damien Harris and others believing Rhamondre Stevenson will emerge. A related question to who will be the main runner is who will be the third-down back.
The Patriots seldom use their main runner in passing situations, which lets out Harris (the favorite to start, though there's a certain segment of the fantasy world that believes it will be Stevenson). Stevenson has been getting some work in passing situations in camp, but he's a bigger back and doesn't fit the profile of what New England has generally used in that role. He also wasn't ready for his chance in that situation against Carolina on Friday (in that game, New England left its main running backs in for passing situations -- Harris the first series, Stevenson the second, and Ty Montgomery the third).
Montgomery is just a well-traveled veteran at this point, but he's also the best pass catcher of the three, having spent a lot of his career as a wide receiver. He's listed as such on the team depth chart, but he was used at running back against the Panthers, and that's more likely where he'll end up on this roster. It's a potentially valuable role.
Over the past 20 years, New England has had 19 different running backs catch at least 30 passes in their offense, and only one of those guys -- Dion Lewis in 2017 -- was also their main runner. More often than not, that passing downs back didn't do much as a runner, but that receiving production enabled them to finish as a solid (and sometimes better than that) starter in PPR leagues.
Table shows the 19 Patriots running backs to catch at least 30 passes since 2002. Eight times those players finished as top-30 fantasy backs, including three recent top-20 players -- Lewis, and James White twice. Those players are in bold.
| NEW ENGLAND RUNNING BACKS, 2002-2021 (30 CATCHES) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Att | Run | Tgt | No | Rec | TD | PPR | Rk |
| 2021 | Brandon Bolden | 44 | 226 | 49 | 41 | 405 | 3 | 124.1 | 41 |
| 2020 | James White | 35 | 121 | 62 | 49 | 375 | 3 | 116.6 | 42 |
| 2019 | James White | 67 | 263 | 95 | 72 | 645 | 6 | 202.6 | 18 |
| 2018 | James White | 94 | 425 | 123 | 87 | 751 | 12 | 276.6 | 7 |
| 2017 | James White | 43 | 171 | 72 | 56 | 429 | 3 | 134.0 | 38 |
| 2017 | Dion Lewis | 180 | 896 | 35 | 32 | 214 | 10 | 203.0 | 13 |
| 2017 | Rex Burkhead | 64 | 264 | 36 | 30 | 254 | 8 | 129.8 | 39 |
| 2016 | James White | 39 | 166 | 86 | 60 | 551 | 5 | 161.7 | 26 |
| 2015 | James White | 22 | 56 | 54 | 40 | 410 | 6 | 122.6 | 39 |
| 2015 | Dion Lewis | 49 | 234 | 50 | 36 | 388 | 4 | 122.2 | 43 |
| 2014 | Shane Vereen | 96 | 391 | 77 | 52 | 447 | 5 | 165.8 | 20 |
| 2013 | Shane Vereen | 44 | 208 | 69 | 47 | 427 | 4 | 134.5 | 36 |
| 2012 | Danny Woodhead | 76 | 301 | 55 | 40 | 446 | 7 | 156.7 | 24 |
| 2009 | Kevin Faulk | 62 | 335 | 53 | 37 | 301 | 3 | 118.6 | 42 |
| 2008 | Kevin Faulk | 83 | 507 | 74 | 58 | 486 | 6 | 193.2 | 21 |
| 2007 | Kevin Faulk | 62 | 265 | 61 | 47 | 383 | 1 | 117.8 | 44 |
| 2006 | Kevin Faulk | 25 | 123 | 56 | 43 | 356 | 3 | 108.9 | 45 |
| 2003 | Kevin Faulk | 178 | 638 | 67 | 48 | 440 | 0 | 155.8 | 29 |
| 2002 | Kevin Faulk | 52 | 271 | 53 | 37 | 379 | 7 | 144.0 | 35 |
Guessing what the Patriots will do is annually frustrating, but I think Montgomery merits a late-round selection in PPR leagues. He won't be the main runner, but if he's the main third-down back, and he might be, he'll have some value.
--Andy Richardson