Few would reasonably believe that Ezekiel Elliott, who notably reunited with the Dallas Cowboys this spring, is the same player -- physically and ultimately statistically -- who used to be a fantasy football superstar. Drafted in 2016, Elliott finished as a top-five fantasy running back in three of his first four NFL seasons, carrying myriad fantasy managers to championships. Even in his final two seasons in Dallas, when backup Tony Pollard pushed him for touches, primarily receptions, Elliott scored 12 touchdowns each season. He was the No. 6 running back for fantasy in 2021, a top-20 player overall.
The current version of Elliott, who turns 29 in July, seems unlikely to achieve RB1 status, but it may not be as wild a suggestion as one realizes, and he is certainly not a player to ignore. Elliott and the Cowboys parted ways before the 2023 season, with Pollard handling the bulk of the running back touches, but Pollard now is fighting for attention on the Tennessee Titans. We can analyze Elliott's statistics in his lone season with the New England Patriots and come away unimpressed, but how many Patriots thrived? Can you find any? The rebuilding Patriots won four games.