Lamar Miller becomes Sony Michel insurance for Patriots

How does adding Lamar Miller impact Sony Michel, the New England Patriots?

The New England Patriots signed former Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller the other day in his free agency. Miller is coming off a season-ending injury in Houston, but has been a solid starting running back throughout much of his NFL career. Is New England adding Miller to its roster anything more than Sony Michel insurance or is that all it is?

The Fantasy Footballers addressed this and called it out for what it is: Miller is Michel insurance. That doesn’t mean he can’t prove to be more valuable than that in the New England backfield, but the reason he was signed is the Patriots were unsure if Michel would be ready physically to get after it at fall camp. However, Miller could end up being the best back New England has to offer.

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Keep in mind that Brandon Bolden opted out of the 2020 NFL season, and that leaves Rex Burkhead, Damien Harris and James White as the backs of note on the New England offense. What are the chances Miller proves to be a fantastic late summer addition to the Patriots roster? Should Michel and other backs be worried about losing their jobs with Miller now in the fold?

What if Lamar Miller is the better fantasy football back over Sony Michel?

From a fantasy football standpoint, your safest bet to have success with a Patriots running back is with White. We’ve seen for years the value he has as a receiver out of the backfield. However, it’ll be Cam Newton or Jarrett Stidham throwing him those checkdowns this fall and not Tom Brady. His value may decrease due to a lack of familiarity with the new starting quarterback.

As for Michel, he’s considered to be one of the weakest starting running backs in the league today. If he’s dealing with injuries throughout the season, he’ll be even less of himself, allowing the opportunity for guys like Burkhead, Harris, Miller and White to take advantage. As stated before, White will get his, but Miller poses the biggest threat to taking away snaps from Michel in 2020.

While there is a chance Miller is washed as a solid NFL running back, New England will still want to run the ball, regardless of whoever is their starting quarterback, whether that be Newton, Stidham or even Brian Hoyer. If Miller has fully recovered from his torn knee ligaments, he could be a much-needed boost to a Patriots’ running game and New England offense that is otherwise bland.