Fantasy Outlook

Welker will be the interesting pick in your draft. He comes off a season with 123 catches that ranked #2 in NFL history and yet blew out his knee and tore his rotator cuff. Welker had 123 catches in only 14 games – he’s been a goldmine in reception point leagues even if he only has three or four touchdowns in most years. But Welker himself has not been able to give a timetable when he can return and most believe he will start the season on the PUP list which will force him to miss the first six games. Six weeks is a long time to carry dead weight on your roster. You do not think so right now, but about week three you will realize how long it is. And even then – how well will Welker bounce back from knee surgery? He’s made a living underneath and over the middle and relies on his ability to cut as much as any wideout out there.

Welker will probably be drafted too early in most leagues and he will be a huge risk when he does return. Welker was able to do some drills in minicamp in early June but did not participate in any team drills. His knee condition will be of paramount importance for the Pats offense and fantasy leaguers.

08-12-10 Update — This is still a big risk with Welker coming off ACL surgery but he appears ready to play this year. He could fall if he does not appear in any preseason game. But so far, the news has been all good for Welker.

08-20-10 Update — The news continues to be good about Welker who was repeatedly the target by Brady in the preseason game. He played only for one series but it was with the first team and he appeared none the worse from his injury.

08-27-10 Update — Welker appears completely recovered from his ACL surgery and continues to play in preseason games. He will remain a risk but may end up to be a major steal.

Posted: 9/3/2010 12:31pm et

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker is ready for Week 1; however, he still feels he's not yet at the same form he was last season when he caught 123 passes, according to Albert Breer, of The Boston Globe. "I still feel like I'm a long ways off from that personally," Welker said. "People say it looks the same. I don't feel the same. So I'm not gonna put a number on myself."

Huddle Up: Even 80 percent of Welker in the same role in New England's offense is better than 100 percent of a lot of other receivers. However, it could mean fewer snaps for Welker (and more for Julian Edelman) or just make him a bigger risk for re-injury. While he shouldn't be drafted as the PPR stud he's been the past couple of seasons, he does appear ready to contribute at a high level.

Posted: 8/20/2010 7:02am et

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker (knee) said it was good to get back on the field, catch some passes and take some hits during the team's preseason game Thursday, Aug. 19, reports The Associated Press. 'It's a step forward. I'm not sure I'm all there yet,' Welker said after the game.

Huddle Up: The news on Welker is encouraging but reinforces the fact that the Patriots wideout will likely not be the same force early in the season that fantasy owners are accustomed to. Welker will likely slid down draft charts which will make him a huge bargin if your team can land two other receivers to carry you through the first few weeks of the season until he is back to full strength.

Posted: 8/17/2010 11:25am et

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker traveled with the team to Atlanta for their preseason game versus the Falcons, according to Mike Reiss, of ESPNBoston.com. Welker's status for the game remains uncertain, but he did say that his recovery remains on schedule. "It's still kind of the same, we're making strides," Welker said. "At the same time, there are good days and bad days. We're just trying to work through them."

Huddle Up: At this point, fantasy owners have for the most part only heard that Welker's miraculous recovery is going well; once he gets onto the field and participates in a game, they'll be able to see for themselves and bump his fantasy value accordingly.

Posted: 8/13/2010 10:10am et

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker sat out the team's preseason game Thursday, Aug. 12, reports The Associated Press. He is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Huddle Up: Welker is attempting to race back from a torn ACL just eight months after the injury. He's looked good in practices thus far, but the team isn't ready to risk him in a preseason game so fantasy owners will still be taking a leap of faith in drafting him as if he's fully recovered.

Posted: 8/1/2010 7:24pm et

Updating a previous item, New England Patriots WR Wes Welker (knee) was at the team's practice in pads Sunday, Aug. 1, but he was not allowed any contact again, reports WEEI.com's Christopher Price. He spent most of the team's practice working out on an extra practice field.

Huddle Up: The signs are encouraging where Welker is concerned but look for more of this for a while as the Patriots are not going to take any chances with his recovery. Fantasy owners should temper expectations for Welker early in the season but keep in mind he is a solid No. 2 wideout when he is fully recovered once again.

Posted: 7/30/2010 10:26am et

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker showed quick, fluid movements while going through agility drills Thursday, July 29, reports Monique Walker, of The Boston Globe. Welker remains on the team's active PUP list.

Huddle Up: Welker continues his miraculous comeback from the knee injury (and subsequent surgery) that prematurely ended his 2009 season. While it's difficult to expect anyone, especially a wide receiver, to contribute so quickly after such an injury, a player with Welker's work ethic would certainly fit the profile of the exception to the rule. He's starting to creep back up the cheat sheets, and once he's removed from the PUP it will be difficult to deny him a spot among the top 25 wideouts, especially in a PPR scoring format.

Posted: 7/27/2010 11:46am et

The New England Patriots have placed WR Wes Welker on the Physically Unable to Perform list prior to the start of training camp, according to Sean Leahy, of USA Today. Welker was placed on the active/PUP list, which could still allow him to return soon.

Huddle Up: The move frees up a roster spot for the Patriots until they can assess where Welker is in his recovery. Right now reports suggest he'll be ready for the start of the season, but we've been fooled by medical reports out of New England before.

Posted: 7/23/2010 4:07pm et

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker (knee) is expected to be cleared for fully participation at the start of training camp, reports Christopher Price, of WEEI.com, citing a report on Boston's CBS Radio.

Huddle Up: The ACL rehab has gone smoothly by most accounts, though Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss doesn't think Welker is quite that far along. "If I had to make an educated guess, Welker will open training camp on the physically unable to perform list, and will remain there through at least the first six weeks of the regular season," Reiss said last month. The Patriots open camp on July 29th.

Posted: 7/15/2010 4:48pm et

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker (knee) said during a radio interview that he is trying to work his way from rehab mode to training mode during his workouts, reports Albert Breer, of the Boston Globe. 'It's doing well,' Welker said. 'Kind of plugging along, and trying to get in more of a training mode than a rehab mode. It's been going good so far, just taking it a day at a time.'

Huddle Up: Welker had surgery to repair a torn left ACL on February 2nd, so when training camp starts he will have six months of rehab under his belt. Last month he reportedly surprised everyone in a brief workout, running routes at three-quarter speed.

Posted: 7/8/2010 12:53pm et

A Week 1 return for New England Patriots WR Wes Welker (knee) is certainly a possibility, if not a probability, according to Albert Breer, of The Boston Globe. However, that is not to say anything should be assumed, but it wouldn't be stunning at all to see him playing. The bigger question may revolve around how effective he can be early on.

Huddle Up: This is a likely outcome - Welker playing in week one (or close to it) and yet not being 100% and not producing the sort of numbers we've grown accustomed to seeing. The problem is that even with the risk involved, drafting Welker this summer is going to require some optimism about his ability to bounce back and not just to get onto the field, but to replicate his place in the passing equation from last year.

Posted: 6/2/2010 11:29pm et

Updating a previous report, New England Patriots WR Wes Welker (knee) ran some routes and participated in other drills during practice Wednesday, June 2, reports Alber Breer, of the Boston Globe. Welker looked swift and agile during a cone drill but did not participate in any of the team drills.

Huddle Up: Welker will continue to rehab his injured knee in the offseason but the team will still likely bring him along slowly. Fantasy owners should not be surprised if Welker misses at least the first few games of the regular season so be sure to keep an eye on the talented wideouts progress before spending a high fantasy draft pick on him this year.

Posted: 5/17/2010 12:08pm et

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker said he only tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last season, reports Jeff Latzke, of The Associated Press. Reports earlier in the year stated that Welker had also tore his medial collateral ligament.

Huddle Up: Coming back from one torn ligament will be difficult enough, but it's certainly good news that Welker didn't add a torn MCL to his maladies. While his return timetable remains uncertain, this news makes it conceivable that Welker won't have to start the year on the PUP list and could be on the field for the Patriots within the first month of the season.