Polk was on the field for 35 of 65 snaps on offense in the Patriots' 16-10 season-opening win over the Bengals on Sunday, catching his only target for six yards, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
The Patriots opened with DeMario Douglas (39 snaps) , K.J. Osborn (40 snaps) and Tyquan Thornton (38 snaps) as their starting wideouts Sunday, but Polk also saw his share of time on the field in his NFL debut. As the season rolls along, Polk's involvement in the passing game should increase, but for the time being he's purely a speculative play for fantasy purposes.
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Patriots' Ja'Lynn Polk: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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The Patriots actually have four receivers you can take a chance on with Polk, Demario Douglas (26 percent), Kendrick Bourne (7 percent) and Javon Baker (0 percent). Polk and Douglas are worth rostering in all leagues, and Bourne is only worth adding if you have an IR spot. Baker is worth a flier in deeper leagues. Polk could make plenty of big plays in his rookie campaign, and Douglas could lead the Patriots in receptions this year.
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Patriots' Ja'Lynn Polk: Makes highlight play with Maye
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Polk recorded two receptions (on three targets) for 29 yards in Sunday's 20-10 preseason loss to the Commanders.
Polk wasn't on the field for the Patriots' first drive, instead getting usurped by K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton as the starting outside wide receivers. However, Polk was on the field for the team's second possession paired with Drake Maye, and the former hauled in a strike across the middle that he turned upfield for a 29-yard gain. Polk also had a nice catch on an out route that would have gone for another first down, though the gain was offset by a penalty. Polk had been working with the starting unit in practice leading up to the game, so even if he isn't formally listed as a starter, he should still see the field plenty Week 1 against Cincinnati.
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Patriots' Ja'Lynn Polk: Working with starters
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Polk has been a regular presence on the first-team offense at practice this week, according to Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald.
Polk saw almost all of his playing time with the second-string offense in New England's first two preseason games, but that's not necessarily a bad thing given that it allowed him to work with QB Drake Maye rather than Jacoby Brissett. It's possible both Maye and Polk end up starting Week 1 against the Bengals, and there's not much question they'll end up working together at some point this season even if it doesn't materialize for the opener. The Patriots took Maye with the third overall pick in April and then got Polk at No. 37. Polk caught five of six targets in the first two preseason games, but for only 20 yards.
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Patriots' Ja'Lynn Polk: Pushing for key role as rookie
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Polk and fellow rookie and Javon Baker have been "as advertised" through six training camp practices, according to Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site.
Lazar notes that Polk -- whom the Patriots took in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft -- has been featured out of the gate with other regulars in the team's offense as a reliable underneath target. With Kendrick Bourne recovering from a knee injury that could limit him early on this season, Polk would appear to have a path toward becoming an immediate contributor in New England's passing game as a rookie. Whether that translates to fantasy relevance right away hinges on what sort of volume the Washington product sees in an offensive attack that could lean heavily on the run. As the season progresses Polk could emerge as key a pass catcher for whichever quarterback ( Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye) is behind center.
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Patriots' Ja'Lynn Polk: Clear path to No. 1 role?
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Polk could secure the Patriots' top receiver spot to open the 2024 regular season if he impresses in training camp, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.
Polk, a rookie second-round pick, didn't begin the offseason working as a starter but has since worked his way up the depth chart, and he was a standout at mandatory minicamp. The Washington product is considered pro-ready as rookie, so though his combine workout numbers didn't strongly impress, he's refined enough to quickly hit the ground running and entrench himself as one of New England's most reliable targets in the passing game, especially if Kendrick Bourne (knee) isn't fully recovered from his ACL tear by Week 1. Graff projects Polk to get a large portion of first-team reps in training camp, so if he can translate that into some preseason momentum, it wouldn't be surprising for him to start the season ahead of Bourne, DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie fourth-rounder Javon Baker, especially if he can establish chemistry with Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye. As a pro, Polk may ultimately be more of a possession receiver than a deep target, but he boasts the upside to become one of the most consistent options in the Patriots' air attack.
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Patriots' Ja'Lynn Polk: Links up with Maye in New England
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The Patriots selected Polk in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 37th overall.
New England gets a rookie wideout to pair with new quarterback Drake Maye. Polk began his career at Texas Tech before transferring in 2021 to Washington, where he caught 41 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns on 68 targets in 2022. He truly broke out in 2023 with 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns as the Robin to Rome Odunze's Batman, though it's fair to wonder whether teammate Jalen McMillan's injury-plagued 2023 helped fuel Polk's breakout (McMillan nearly matched Odunze's production the year before). Polk is 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, and while he doesn't wow with his speed (4.52 40), he's a refined player that wins with skill and good hands. Joining a New England offense that desperately needed receiver help, Polk could start right away.
