With Julian Edelman on IR and Danny Amendola out this week, Burkhead could be called upon to take some snaps on the line of scrimmage Sunday against the Saints, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

To fill the void created by the absence of the team's top two slot wideouts, the Patriots figure to utilize a committee approach, with Phillip Dorsett a candidate to see more work at wideout, and the team's tight ends and running backs candidates to see more looks in the passing game. Burkhead's versatility makes him an intriguing option on that front, so it's not hard to imagine him eclipsing his Week 1 snap count (10) on Sunday. That said, until his role in the team's offense is solidified, he's a speculative fantasy option, after logging just three carries for 15 yards and catching one pass for eight yards in the Patriots' season opener.

Burkhead was on the field for 10 of the Patriots' 81 snaps on offense in Thursday's 42-27 loss to the Chiefs, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. In the process, Burkhead carried three times for 15 yards and caught one of his three targets for eight yards.

EDGE Analysis

Meanwhile, James White recorded 43 snaps and 10 carries for 38 yards, while Mike Gillislee was on the field for 24 snaps, logging a team-high 15 carries for 45 yards and three TDs. Further, Dion Lewis was limited two carries on six snaps. Burkhead was actually the first back out there for the Patriots on Thursday, but as the game progressed, it became clear that White was the team's preferred option in the passing game, while Gillislee profiles as the Patriots' top power back. Given the Patriots' game-plan/game-flow dependent attack, we expect to see weeks in which Burkhead sees more touches. That could occur as soon as next weekend, when the Patriots face the Saints on the road, a game that has shootout potential. Of course, until we see better production from him, Burkhead will remain a speculative play.

Burkhead, who recently missed time with an undisclosed injury, confirmed Monday that he is "ready to go" for Thursday's season opener against the Chiefs, the Boston Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

Burkhead, who signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Patriots this offseason, brings a versatile skill set to the mix, which figures to earn him a solid role in the team's backfield. That said, with Mike Gillislee on hand to work in early down and short-yardage situations, as well as the presence of pass-catching stalwarts James White and Dion Lewis, Burkhead's path to a predicable number of touches on a weekly basis is less than crystal clear.

Burkhead (unspecified issue) returned to practice Monday, the Patriots' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Burkhead, who missed this past Friday's preseason game, could thus be available for Thursday's preseason finale, though it's possible that he might be held out of the contest, along with other key cogs in the offense. Assuming his good health, Burkhead's versatility should earn him a solid role in the Patriots' ground attack, but with potential early-down back Mike Gillislee, as well as pass-catching aces James White and Dion Lewis also on in the mix, his path to a consistent number of touches on a weekly basis is somewhat hit-or-miss.

Burkhead (unspecified issue) is not slated to play in Friday's preseason game against the Lions, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

It remains unclear as to what's ailing Burkhead, who missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday, but while he's unavailable Friday, fellow running back Mike Gillislee is poised to suit up.

Burkhead (undisclosed) missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday, making him unlikely to play in Friday's preseason game against the Lions, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Burkhead had 70 scrimmage yards and a touchdown Saturday against Houston, but he apparently came out of the preseason game with some kind of injury. Meanwhile, Mike Gillislee (hamstring) returned to full participation at Tuesday's practice, potentially setting him up to feature in Friday's matchup with Detroit. The New England backfield remains a mystery, with Burkhead, Gillislee, James White and Dion Lewis all candidates to earn major roles. There may not be any real answers before Week 1, as coach Bill Belichick has a history of taking things on a game-by-game basis in the backfield. In the past, the approach was typically due to a lack of talent, whereas this time around there seems to be a glut of it.

Burkhead's teammate, Mike Gillislee, was present for Tuesday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Gillislee's presence on the field Tuesday is relevant to Burkhead's fantasy stock, which could have been boosted in the event that his teammate's hamstring issue had lingered. When available, Gillislee appears best-equipped to absorb the the greatest share of the team's short-yardage duties dominated last year by LeGarrette Blount. That said, Burkhead's versatility should earn him a solid role in the offense, with pass-catching aces James White and Dion Lewis also on in the mix. The Patriots' tendency to divide weekly carries in a game-plan-specific manner, however, figures to lead to some volatile production from any of the backfield's components, meaning that on most weeks when its key cogs are healthy, Burkhead's workload could be hard to project.

Burkhead rushed seven times for 20 yards and hauled in all three of his targets for 50 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 27-23 preseason loss to the Texans.

EDGE Analysis

Burkhead was limited on the ground but made his presence felt in the passing game, bringing in a 22-yard touchdown to erase a 7-0 second-quarter deficit. The 27-year-old's exact role in the coming season is to be determined, as he logged just 87 carries and 34 receptions in his first three campaigns, which were spent in Cincinnati. A proficient pass catcher, Burkhead is likely to have a sizable role through the air, but will be sharing touches with talented incumbents James White and Dion Lewis in that area. He'll likely see plenty of snaps in next Friday's contest versus the Lions.

With Mike Gillislee (hamstring) still sidelined, Burkhead logged the majority of rushing reps on hand-offs with the Patriots' first-team offense Monday, the Boston Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

Once Gillislee returns to the field, he'll look to secure a role as the team's early-down/short-yardage back, but Burkhead's versatility looks like a good fit for a rushing attack that has been crafted to be less predictable than it was last season, when top "big back" LeGarrette Blount seldom contributed in the passing game. Though we like Burkhead as late-round flyer, the likelihood that Gillislee earns the bulk of the team's short-yardage work out of the gate, coupled with the presence of pass-catching stalwarts James White and Dion Lewis, clouds Burkhead's initial path to consistent touches. Given the Patriots' tendency to divide weekly carries in a game-plan-specific manner, it wouldn't surprise us to see Burkhead engineer some fantasy-worthy production in 2017, but as long as the team's key backfield cogs are all healthy, such production figures to be a hit-or-miss.

Burkhead could benefit from the Patriots' desire to be more unpredictable on offense this season, Mike Giardi of CSN New England reports.

EDGE Analysis

As good as the New England offense was last season, coach Bill Belichick noted that the team's backfield was a bit too predictable, with LeGarrette Blount a non-contributor in the passing game and James White logging more than twice as many targets (86) as carries (39). Burkhead seemingly offers the best mix of running, blocking and receiving skills among the team's current backs, in addition to boasting a long-standing reputation as a standout on special teams. Mike Gillislee is still the favorite to replace Blount in the power role, but the former Bill could lose work to Burkhead if Belichick follows through on his stated desire to emphasize backfield versatility. Gillislee has averaged 5.6 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on 154 career carries, but he only has 15 receptions in 23 NFL games, leaving doubt as to whether he'll be a serious upgrade from Blount in that department. Burkhead also has the skill set to push White an Dion Lewis for snaps in passing situations.