Patriots’ Sony Michel reportedly recovering from foot surgery

New England Patriots running back Sony Michel is recovering from foot surgery, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

What It Means:

Michel underwent the operation in May but it's believed to have been more "maintenance-based" to alleviate some foot discomfort. The former first-round pick played all 16 games last year after missing three games due to knee problems as a rookie, but his efficiency waned. Out of 20 running backs with at least 200 carries last season, Michel's 3.7 yards per carry only ranked ahead of David Montgomery and Le'Veon Bell. Michel also isn't involved as a pass-catcher, with only 31 targets through two years, but he has seen plenty of volume on the ground. Since entering the league, Michel has averaged just over 15 rushing attempts per game and has single-digit carries in only four of his 29 regular season games. He is one of 13 running backs that has at least 15 rush attempts per game over the past two seasons. If Michel winds up not being available for the start of the season, Damien Harris would likely take over lead back duties for New England.

numberFire's models project Michel for 888.2 rushing yards, 11.5 receptions (16.7 targets), 86.8 receiving yards, and 8.9 touchdowns in 2020. He's the RB26 in our preseason fantasy rankings.