Mohamed Sanu, Phillip Dorsett's Fantasy Outlook After Josh Gordon Knee Injury

With New England Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon nursing knee and ankle injuries, it paves the way for Phillip Dorsett and Mohamed Sanu to command the bulk of the targets from quarterback Tom Brady.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted Gordon was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. He sat out Monday's 33-0 win over the New York Jets because of injuries he suffered the previous week against the New York Giants.

Per ESPN's Field Yates, Gordon won't return this season. 

The Pats' offense always seems to continue humming regardless of who shuttles in and out of the lineup, and that bodes well for Dorsett and Sanu from a fantasy perspective.

Provided Gordon misses significant time, here is a look at what you can expect out of Dorsett and Sanu until he returns.

Phillip Dorsett

Dorsett has been surprisingly valuable to the Patriots in 2019. The five-year veteran has already set a career high with four touchdown receptions and has almost as many receiving yards (243) as he had in all of 2018 (290). 

Of all the receivers on New England's roster, Dorsett is most likely to take over for Gordon as Brady's best deep threat. He's got tremendous straight-line speed to run past opposing defensive backs. That hasn't often translated to production in his career, but this is his best chance to get an extended look in the offense.

Even at his best, though, Dorsett will still be no higher than No. 3 on Brady's preference list. Julian Edelman remains the top receiver in New England with 68 targets and 45 receptions in seven games. Running back James White ranks second on the team with 47 targets and 38 receptions. 

Dorsett's snap count has varied wildly in the past three weeks, going from 92 percent in Week 3 to 62 percent to five percent before jumping back up to 88 percent against the Jets. 

Until it becomes clear how often Dorsett is going to play, keep him on your bench and save him as a potential flex option. 

Mohamed Sanu

The Pats acquired Sanu from the Atlanta Falcons Tuesday for a 2020 second-round pick, which means head coach Bill Belichick likely had big expectations for him.

The Falcons used Sanu primarily as a possession receiver out of the slot. That role seems unlikely to be available to him in New England because of Edelman and White. 

In seven games this season, Sanu has 33 receptions, 313 yards and one touchdown on 42 targets. 

Sanu is a big, physical and versatile receiver who fills a need on New England's offense. With tight end Rob Gronkowski out of the picture due to retirement, Brady lacked a pass-catcher who could body up defenders and make contested catches until Sanu was acquired.

While Sanu doesn't have elite speed, his height and leaping ability allow him to make plays down the field, and he should be a frequent target for Brady while filling the role that Gordon usually occupies.

Sanu is undoubtedly worth utilizing as a flex play for as long as Gordon is out, and he even has some WR2 upside depending on how often Brady airs it out.

At the least, Sanu should absolutely be on your roster and considered a strong weekly play.

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The NFL trade deadline preview show from Stick to Football is live, including talk about Sanu to the Patriots!