Kendrick

Bourne

Bourne ends the season with just 305 receiving yards on 28 receptions (38 targets) and one touchdown in 12 games. Bourne had 406 receiving yards in just eight games with New England last season, so this was a disappointing effort for a player many thought would be the Patriots’ top receiving target this season. The 29-year-old is still under contract for two more seasons, but the Patriots do have an opt-out after this season where they can cut Bourne with a $2.8 million dead cap hit. Considering the Patriots have a lot of cap room to work with, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them move on from the veteran and go with a younger corps of receivers next season. If that does happen, Bourne will most likely find another team as part of a deep receiving corps but will be well off fantasy radars.

Bourne’s role as the veteran of the Pats’ wideout group does not allow for much fantasy production. He caught just two passes in a blowout loss. Rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker came into the game late, but neither caught a pass. Bourne should remain off fantasy radars while Polk and Baker have had disappointing rookie seasons.

Bourne technically broke his three-game, three-reception streak this week, though he did so by falling short of his underwhelming goal. Bourne is not up for fantasy consideration against the Chargers in Week 17.

Bourne has at least three catches in five straight games but has only topped 44 yards once in that stretch. He is running plenty of routes but rarely commands enough targets to crack the WR4 ranks. He is stuck farther down in the WR5/6 range for his Week 16 date with Buffalo.

Bourne was largely an afterthought in this game, though he did convert on third-and-one with an end-around in the third quarter. Bourne also had a six-yard score nullified by an illegal shift penalty. Still, the target volume was low and the production matched it. Bourne broke out with 70 yards and a touchdown three weeks ago but hasn’t done much since. He is buried in the WR6/7 ranks heading into New England’s bye week.

Bourne now has at least five targets in each of his last three games, which is at least something since he had eight targets combined in his first four games. He still seems to be operating behind Hunter Henry and Demario Douglas when it comes to targets; however, he is continuing to play more snaps on the outside which could make him fantasy-relevant in deeper leagues when the Patriots are trailing since he’ll be on the field more than most other receivers.

Benched for whatever reason in Week 10, the Pats decided today they would rather develop Drake Maye than their young pass catchers. Veteran Bourne provided a tough pair of hands, including on his nine-yard end zone grab to get the scoring started in the first quarter. Bourne is a rugged player who is an asset to all quarterbacks, but it rarely translates to WR4 value in fantasy. He’s best left on benches — or waiver wires — for Week 12 vs. Jalen Ramsey’s Dolphins.

The Patriots are seemingly prioritizing their younger wideouts forming a rapport with Drake Maye in what is all but a lost season. Bourne was active but did not see the field in Week 10 against the Bears. DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte were Maye’s most targeted receivers while Ja’Lynn Polk scored a touchdown. K.J. Osborn is the other veteran receiver on the squad and he saw just one target on the day. Fantasy managers can safely cut Osborn and Bourne from fantasy rosters unless in the deepest of leagues.

Bourne and Kayshon Boutte both received six targets in the contest, but Bourne was able to do something with them while Boutte was held to two catches for 18 yards. The Patriots gave K.J. Osbourn and Tyquan Thornton healthy scratches ahead of the trade deadline, and even if neither is traded, Bourne appears to be No. 2 wideout in this offense behind DeMario Douglas. That doesn’t make Bourne relievant for Week 11 against the Bears, but it’s worth pointing out, we guess.

Russini notes that the 49ers are looking to add help on defense and the team is aware of Godchaux’s availability via trade. While it’s unclear if anything will materialize before Tuesday’s trade deadline, San Francisco certainly fits the mold as a team that wouldn’t mind taking on Godchaux’s salary and parting with draft picks given where the 49ers are in their contention window. Russini also notes that New England is open to trading receivers Tyquan Thornton and Kendrick Bourne as well as safety Kyle Dugger.