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Eli Raridon Out for Remainder of Week 2 vs. Steelers
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon (thigh) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, his team reported via the X platform. The rookie had one catch for 30 yards in Sunday's home game before sustaining the injury. Hunter Henry becomes New England's go-to tight end with Raridon out of the game.
Source: Patriots Comminucations
Source: Patriots Comminucations
Eli Raridon Questionable to Return With Thigh Injury
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon (thigh) is questionable to return against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Patriots Communications. The rookie had one catch for 30 yards before leaving the game. Hunter Henry remains New England's primary tight end and would take on an even larger share of the work if Raridon can't return. Cameron Latu is also available with Tanner Arkin inactive Sunday.
Source: Patriots Communications
Source: Patriots Communications
Eli Raridon Not Ready To Be Counted On in Week 2
New England Patriots backup tight end Eli Raridon caught his only target for two receiving yards in Week 1's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The rookie out of Notre Dame is behind Hunter Henry on the depth chart but is on the field in two tight end sets. Nonetheless, it is hard to count upon Raridon at a loaded tight end position league-wide until he proves himself more. Henry eats up most of the tight end targets for the Patriots so Raridon will need to show more involvement in the passing game before he can be relied upon. The Patriots play the Steelers in Week 2 who have a good defense and limited Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts to no catches in Week 1's win. This is not a good matchup for Raridon and it is really not wise to start him until he is coming off a big game.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Hunter Henry a Top Candidate to Handle Physical Pass-Catching Role
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry is trending up in fantasy football for his Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Henry occupied a modest receiving role in the Patriots' season opener last week, catching three passes for 26 yards despite having a respectable 76% target share. However, his volume could be increasing now that wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. Entering the season, Brown projected as the Patriots' most physical target, making him a weapon around the goal line. With Brown sidelined, that responsibility could shift to Henry, who caught 60 passes for seven touchdowns in 2025. This Steelers defense didn't surrender a catch to a tight end in Week 1, but that can likely be attributed to Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush, rather than Kyle Pitts Sr. On the contrary, Drake Maye is a much tougher matchup for the Steelers, and his strong passing skills should help support a top-12 week from Henry in PPR fantasy football leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry Poised For Larger Role
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry could help carry the load for the Patriots over the next few weeks with wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) on Injured Reserve with a high-ankle sprain. In Week 1, when Brown sustained the injury, Henry ended up playing more snaps than any Patriots WR, logging 76% of the team's offensive plays. He hauled in all three of his targets for 26 receiving yards, finishing with a quiet night while rookie TE Eli Raridon found the end zone for the team's only touchdown on his only catch of the game. QB Drake Maye threw three interceptions in the team's loss to the Seahawks, and relying on his trusty tight end Hunter Henry could help him have a redemption performance this week against the Steelers. With more work available, Henry is a strong rising option at tight end to consider for the next few weeks
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Eli Raridon an Impact Player Around the Goal Line?
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon converted his lone target into a two-yard touchdown reception during his NFL debut in Week 1. The 22-year-old's low target total and 54% snap share indicate that he's not ready to pass Hunter Henry on the depth chart any time soon, but we have to wonder if he's still going to be a consistent threat to produce around the goal line. He was on the receiving end of the Patriots' only touchdown in the season opener, getting wide open as the defense paid attention to other offensive players. Managers should continue to monitor Raridon's usage and impact around the goal line, but in the meantime, he's not a bad player to speculatively add in deeper fantasy football leagues. He'll look to replicate his goal-line success while increasing his target share in Week 2 against Pittsburgh.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry Relatively Quiet in Week 1 Loss
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry caught all three of his targets for 26 receiving yards during Wednesday's Week 1 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. Henry produced every time the ball was thrown his way, but he didn't have a very encouraging target share, and his average of 8.7 yards per catch was significantly lower than last year's mark of 12.8 yards. Similarly, Henry averaged 10.5 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues last year, as opposed to just 5.6 points on Wednesday night. It didn't help that the Patriots' lone touchdown went to a tight end other than Henry; it was a two-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye to rookie Eli Raridon. Presumably, Henry will still be more of a threat around the goal line than Raridon going forward, but the rookie's presence and the somewhat frustrating state of the offense could reduce the veteran's fantasy upside. The only encouraging news for his fantasy outlook is that A.J. Brown (ankle) could miss extended time, leaving Henry as Maye's favorite physical, big-bodied target.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Eli Raridon Converts Lone Target Into First Career Touchdown
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon converted his lone target into a two-yard touchdown reception against the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday night. Raridon's trip to the end zone initially gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead, but they eventually blew the lead and lost 13-10 in this Super Bowl matchup. Fantasy managers should feel encouraged that Raridon was not only used around the goal line, but also managed to get open in the end zone. However, it was somewhat concerning to see him targeted on just one of Drake Maye's 33 pass attempts. Raridon won't score a touchdown every week, so he'll need to carve out a much larger target share if he wants to stay on the fantasy radar in redraft leagues. For now, managers can leave him on the waiver wire heading into Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry Belongs on the Bench for Week 1
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry is worth rostering in fantasy football, but managers should leave him on the bench in most leagues for Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. Henry had a mediocre stat line against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl seven months ago, catching three of his five targets for 31 yards. That's not bad production by any means, but it also wouldn't be good enough to get him on the fantasy radar as a top tight end. Additionally, managers should wait to see if A.J. Brown eats into his workload at all during the season opener. Brown is a bigger-bodied receiver, offering physicality in coverage and around the goal line. That's similar to what Henry did last year, so we'll see just how much the prized offseason acquisition's presence impacts a player like Henry. For now, the veteran tight end ranks #17 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Eli Raridon a Deep-League Stash in Solidified Role
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon is officially locked into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart heading into his first pro season. Hunter Henry remains the primary tight end in New England, so we don't expect Raridon to get onto the fantasy radar right away. However, the rookie from Notre Dame has plenty of upside in dynasty leagues and even in some deeper redraft formats. Raridon should get on the field for most two tight end sets, and he could even earn some snaps over Henry. At school last year, he caught 38 passes for 482 yards, although he wasn't able to find the end zone. The 22-year-old currently ranks as RotoBaller's TE45 in redraft leagues, making him a deep-league stash for now. Eventually, though, he could ascend into a decent fantasy starter.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry Remains a High-Floor Deep-League Tight End Option
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry put together a quietly productive season in 2025, recording 60 catches for 768 yards and seven touchdowns on 87 targets across 17 games. The 31-year-old finished second on the Patriots in targets and first in touchdown receptions. New England added some significant pass-catching talent over the offseason, trading for star wide receiver A.J. Brown and signing veteran wideout Romeo Doubs in free agency. Still, Henry remains atop the team's tight end depth chart entering 2026, and he proved last season that he has the trust of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in the red zone. Particularly in deeper league formats, Henry profiles as a high-floor tight end option who should be a worthy streamer in the right matchups for fantasy managers in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry is Likely to Play a Key Part in the Offense
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry quietly put together a top-10 season at his position in 2025. The Patriots made some offensive upgrades this offseason, but Henry is expected to remain a focal point. Over the offseason, the Pats added wide receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. The assumption is that Henry will take a backseat to them, but that might not be the case. Henry has finished with 60 or more receptions during his first two seasons with Drake Maye under center. The two of them clearly have good chemistry, which is something you don't mess with. According to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, Henry is expected to be a key part of the Patriots' offense next season. It's unclear if he'll post another top-10 season, but he should be a viable option.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Eli Raridon Still Rising in a More Crowded Tight End Room
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon hasn't exactly been handed a clean path to fantasy relevance, but his summer still looks like a win. Hunter Henry signed a two-year extension in August after catching 60 passes for a career-high 768 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and New England added Cameron Latu off waivers this week. Raridon, though, remains No. 2 on the Patriots' current unofficial depth chart, ahead of Tanner Arkin and Latu. That's notable after the third-round rookie spent camp earning first-team work and praise from head coach Mike Vrabel for the progress he made as a blocker. Raridon caught only one pass for eight yards in preseason action, so this isn't a case built on exhibition numbers. It's more about where he finished the summer. The 6-foot-6, 245-pounder went from a developmental pick behind Henry to a rookie who looks capable of getting on the field right away. RotoBaller ranked him TE45 in its August 24 redraft outlook, which still makes him more of a deep-league target than a standard starter. The path is crowded, but Raridon's stock is still moving the right way.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry Expected to Play a Very Important Role Again in 2026
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry "will be important" within the team's offense this season, according to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com. "It's hard to overestimate the importance of Hunter Henry here," Daniels wrote. "He's by far the team's best tight end and once again will be a security blanket for Maye. Henry had a good summer and should be applauded for his longevity." Even at age 31 and facing new competition for targets from AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs, Henry appears on track to occupy a large role once again in 2026. He was the TE9 in PPR leagues last year, tying the best fantasy finish of his career. Along the way, he caught 60 passes for 768 yards and seven touchdowns. While there are some receivers who will push for more targets, Henry essentially has the tight end room all to himself, and he faces minimal competition there. It's not crazy to project that Henry's 2026 stats will look similar to 2025, which would make him a top-12 fantasy tight end once again.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Eli Raridon Flashes a Path to Rookie Snaps
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon has made himself more interesting this summer, even if the rookie still has work to do on the depth chart. New England took the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder 95th overall in April, and Julian Hill's season-ending injury created more room behind Hunter Henry. Raridon has flashed enough to take advantage. He made several catches in camp, worked with Drake Maye during joint practices and hauled in a seam ball off play action during the August 7 scrimmage. His preseason debut was quieter, with one catch for eight yards on four targets against Indianapolis, though another gain was wiped out by a penalty. There is still some uncertainty here. New England's current unofficial depth chart lists C.J. Dippre ahead of Raridon, and Raridon did not dress against Philadelphia on August 22 because of what Mike Vrabel called an individual situation. RotoBaller has him at TE45. Henry is still the clear starter, but Raridon's receiving ability has given him a chance to earn rookie snaps in an offense that can use multiple tight ends.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
