If you haven't seen the news yet (and it's everywhere), earlier today, New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady's 4-game suspension was vacated by Federal District Court Judge Richard M. Berman in New York. While this has many widespread implications for the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL Players' Association and the NFL players themselves, let's focus on the impact this decision has on Tom Brady's fantasy stock, as well as the affect it has on the rest of the fantasy relevant players on the Patriots going into the last draft weekend before the season.

Free Brady!

While Brady's suspension has been cleared for now, this doesn't mean that he might not have to serve at least some sort of suspension later on in the season, as I'm sure the NFL will appeal the decision. That being said, now that Brady is assured to begin the season as the Patriots starting quarterback, I see him somewhere in the conversation between the number 5 and 10 quarterback off the board. My top 5 is as follows: #1 Andrew Luck, #2 Aaron Rodgers, #3 Drew Brees, #4 Peyton Manning and #5 Ben Roethlisberger. I don't believe Brady will be better than those guys -- I'm not saying it's impossible, I just don't think it's likely -- but I don't think he'll be too far behind them either. I see him in the same range as Matt Ryan, Tony Romo and Russell Wilson, as well as the rest of the logjam at QB once you get into the 6-12 group, including Sam Bradford, Eli Manning, Matthew Stafford and Ryan Tannehill. I do think that now that he's been cleared, Brady's name recognition and status will probably give him a little bump up the draft boards as well, possibly into the Top 5 QBs taken. On average, Brady has been the #5 quarterback in standard leagues since 2009 (after he came back from knee surgery). It wouldn't shock me to see him right in that mix again. Also, after a whole off season of people talking about nothing but Deflategate, I'm sure that Brady is going to come into the season with a chip on his shoulder and feeling like he has something to prove (nobody backs Tommy into a corner!...or something). Just an added bonus!

Such Gronk, Much Happy

Let's go! This season to be one heck of another ride!! #PatsNation pic.twitter.com/vFZ1vmBxAq

— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) September 3, 2025

As you can tell by his tweet -- which was posted soon after the news broke -- Rob Gronkowski is very excited to have Tom Brady back in the fold for the beginning of the season. Gronk is already universally ranked as the #1 tight end in fantasy, so does this change his outlook any? I'd say so! This isn't to say that Patriots' backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo couldn't get the ball to Gronk (I think he's probably QB proof), but who wouldn't rather have future Hall of Famer Tom Brady throwing passes to him instead? Since his rookie year in 2010, Gronkowski has had at least 10 receiving touchdowns every year except his injury shortened 2013 season, when he had 4 touchdowns in 7 games. He even had 11 scores when he missed 5 games in 2012! Brady had a hand in a few of those, of course...all but 2 of his career total 54. So, anyone who had any reservations about taking Gronk due to Brady's suspension can now breath easy and continue to target him in the late-first and early-second round range (and those who have already drafted him there can celebrate!), as I believe this news increases the distance between him and perennial #1 fantasy tight end rival Jimmy Graham -- now in a less pass-happy offense in Seattle -- even more.

What About Edelman?

I also think that his helps WR Julian Edelman a great deal, as the on-field connection between he and Brady has been so strong for the past few seasons. Without that connection, I'm not sure Edelman would be the same, as Brady just always seems to know where he is and uses him as his security blanket when he needs to. That being said, I'm not super high on Edelman, as I just don't think his ceiling is as high as some other players being drafted in the same range. However, he does likely have a higher floor than most, as you know 90-100 receptions is in play and he's always a strong option in PPR leagues, especially with Brady around. I'd take a look at him in the round 6 or 7 range.

Other Receivers and the Running Game

As far as the other receiving options for the Patriots, it's highly unlikely that I'll be owning any of them this year. Brandon LaFell had a decent season last year, but I haven't seen it consistently and he's still on the PuP list going into the regular season. Any other options -- like Aaron Dobson, Reggie Wayne, and Danny Amendola -- should only be drafted as very late-round fliers or in deeper leagues, as I don't see any of them having consistent value unless Edelman goes down (in which case Amendola would likely get the first shot at that role).

Brady's return will likely provide a boost for the New England running game as well, as defenses will have to show more respect to the passing game with him at the helm as opposed to Garoppolo. The only problem is that the Patriots' constant running back roulette has been giving fantasy players fits for a years now. LeGarrette Blount would be the first Pats' back off my board, but it wouldn't be in the first 6 rounds, and Jonas Gray is a possible late round flier or Week 1 dart throw. The receiving back role in the offense is still up in the air between Brandon Bolden, James White and Travaris Cadet, and I really have no interest in trying to decipher that situation.

Sit Back and Enjoy the Ride

Overall, this news is great for the entire Patriots offense and increases the fantasy appeal of any Patriots' player that's considered draft worthy. If you've already had your draft(s) and picked up some Patriots' players or Tom Brady himself in the process, you have to be feeling pretty good right now. At this point you can just take advantage of the boost Brady provides to the rest of the players around him and watch the high the Pats will likely be playing on for at least part of the season. Enjoy!

Stats gathered from NFL.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com