Fantasy Football: Shane Vereen Among Starts, Sits For Patriots-Jets Game
All aboard the New England Patriots fantasy bandwagon!
The Patriots’ offense awoke from its uncharacteristic slumber two weeks ago against the Cincinnati Bengals and hasn’t looked back, pouring in 80 points over the last two games and rewarding fantasy owners in the process.
The issue with the Patriots in recent years never has been whether the points will come. Instead, it’s been a matter of how the points will be distributed. A devastating injury to starting running back Stevan Ridley and the return of Rob Gronkowski as the leader in the passing game at least paints a slightly clearer picture heading into Thursday night’s contest against the New York Jets.
As for the Jets? Let’s just say things could be better on the offensive front. New York ranks 30th in the NFL with an anemic 16 points per game, making it extremely difficult to consider any of its players for a spot in your lineup. As with any team, though, the opportunities are there.
A disclaimer: heavy rains are in the forecast for Gillette Stadium on Thursday night, which could make for a very sloppy, low-scoring affair. If you have better options, it might be best to steer clear of this game altogether. That being said, let’s take a look at some fantasy prospects for Thursday’s AFC East battle.
STARTS
Shane Vereen, Running Back, Patriots: With Ridley out of the picture, Vereen will carry the bulk of the Patriots’ rushing load, spelled occasionally by Brandon Bolden. The Jets usually have a stout run defense, but they’ve allowed more than 40 fantasy points to running backs in the last two weeks. There should be plenty of opportunities for Vereen to continue that trend if the weather is lousy.
Jace Amaro, Tight End, Jets: Need a spot start at tight end this week? Give Amaro a spin. The rookie was the one bright spot in New York’s loss to the Detroit Lions last week, catching 10 balls for 68 yards and a score. The Patriots gave up big numbers to tight ends Travis Kelce and Scott Chandler in recent weeks, and they just lost defensive captain Jerod Mayo for the season.
SITS
Eric Decker, Wide Receiver, Jets: As the Jets’ top receiver, Decker likely will have the honor of lining up across from lockdown corner Darrelle Revis. Revis Island isn’t where you want to be, especially in a driving rainstorm, and most especially if Geno Smith is throwing you the ball. It might be best to give Decker the week off.
Brandon LaFell, Wide Receiver, Patriots: On the surface, this seems like a good matchup — a hot receiver on a hot offense at home against a porous secondary. But if the rain keeps coming down, this game could turn into a slop-fest, and something tells us quarterback Tom Brady will turn to Julian Edelman or Gronkowski before he looks LaFell’s way. LaFell could snag another touchdown pass, but he’s a bit of a gamble here.
Have a fantasy question for Darren? Send it to him via Twitter @darren_hartwell
Photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
