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We said all along that if you drafted Sony Michel, you'd have to be patient. Now you'll have to be really patient.

Multiple reports on Saturday said the Patriots first-round rookie running back walked out of practice with a knee injury this past week and underwent a procedure on his knee. One report from The Athletic suggested Michel is expected to be sidelined through the preseason and potentially into the regular season. Another report, from ESPN, believed the procedure was more of a "clean-up" and that Michel's timetable isn't that bad -- a minimum of 10 days with a chance of being ready for Week 1.

Michel was never expected to be a right-out-of-the-gate starter for your Fantasy team, but this issue will slow his development. Remember, the Patriots assigns a lot of tasks to their players and also have plenty of running backs rostered. They won't willingly push an unprepared rookie into a lot of touches.

There's a general belief that Rex Burkhead will shoulder most of the rushing workload while Michel is on the shelf. Burkhead was more like an understudy to Dion Lewis last year, picking up lots of touches in games where Lewis had plenty to himself, such as Patriots blowout wins. He averaged a modest 4.1 yards per carry and 8.5 yards per catch, making his largest contributions in the red zone with eight touchdowns from 19 yards or closer (including five from three yards or closer).

He won't be alone. Already figured to take on a lot of receptions with Julian Edelman suspended, pass-catching back James White will gobble up obvious pass situations like third downs and second-and-long snaps. Newcomer Jeremy Hill has stayed healthy and told WEEI-AM this week he believes he can get "tough yards" for the Patriots. Two independent projections from NESN and The Boston Herald believe he'll make the roster before Mike Gillislee, who's been battling injuries.

We could very easily begin the season with Burkhead starting, White taking on passing situations and Hill cleaning up at the goal line. Three guys making up the Pats run game? Can't say we haven't seen that before. It's reasonable to believe things will be this way until Michel comes back and proves he knows what he's doing in practice and perhaps even in a game or two before his workload expands.

Either way, cautious Fantasy owners shouldn't expect to get more than nine or 10 games out of Michel where he'll have a shot at, say, 13 touches -- and that's if he doesn't fumble (something he struggled with in training camp). Unless he's back in action well before Week 1, throw out any hope of him nabbing the 212 touches Lewis had last year. Think of Michel as a back-half of the Fantasy season starter, making him manageable as a Round 8 pick. If he comes back and contributes sooner, it's better for you. Remember that you must be patient if you draft Michel.

Burkhead, meanwhile, seems to have the best shot at that Lewis role so long as Michel isn't a factor. That means as many as 15 carries and a handful of catches each week, the kind of workload you'd definitely want out of your Fantasy running back. Before you race to put him on your team, don't forget that he struggled to stay healthy last year and might not get goal-line chances because of it. He's also promised nothing upon Michel's return, especially if he's just okay as the Patriots starter. For those reasons, you're better off not reaching for Burkhead until Round 6 at the earliest.

White was already getting snagged in PPR formats -- that won't change. What will change is Fantasy owners tossing a lawn dart at Jeremy Hill in the final three rounds of a draft just in case he ends up being a bigger part of the offense than we give him credit for.

Taking Burkhead and Michel together in those Round 6-8 picks? If both were healthy, you could envision one of them being good enough to roll with as a No. 2 Fantasy running back. Now? Burkhead will take the role to start the season and Michel will absorb his work as per Bill Belichick sees fit. That takeover might not happen when you want it to. It's not as attractive as a strategy as it was before.

The real benefactor here? Tom Brady. More of the offensive game plan will fall on his shoulders, justifying why he's one of Fantasy's best quarterbacks even more.