Here's how much upside there is for the New England Patriots' "big" back, even in PPR leagues: LeGarrette Blount caught just 7 balls for 39 yards last season, and he still finished as the RB9 in PPR formats.
Mike Gillislee is better than Blount. In fact, he's better than a lot of running backs.
Per our numbers, Gillislee had the most efficient rushing season of the century a year ago.
| Name | Rushes | Rushing NEP | Rushing NEP/Carry | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Gillislee | 101 | 30.53 | 0.30 | 57.43% |
Among backs with at least 100 carries in 2016, Gillislee ranked first in both Rushing NEP per carry and Success Rate. That doesn't do it justice, though, as he finished miles ahead of the pack. LeSean McCoy, the second-place finisher in Rushing NEP per carry, was at 0.16, and the second-best Success Rate was Bilal Powell's 49.61% clip.
Putting that kind of efficiency into a high-octane offense like New England's should be illegal.
Sure, there are a lot of mouths to feed in the Pats' backfield -- James White, Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead -- but Gillislee is the most obvious candidate for the Blount role, which was good for 299 carries last year. If he sees anything close to that volume, watch out.