LOL!
"ESPN Boston expects a "different offensive approach" out of the Patriots in Sunday's Week 12 game against the Lions.
Recent Patriot gameplans when facing the Colts have been to smash them in the mouth with power runs. That is not going to work against a Lions defense that leads the league in rush yards allowed per game (68.8), YPC allowed (3.03) and is tied for second in touchdowns allowed (4). It's risky to project Bill Belichick's thoughts, but this certainly feels like a Shane Vereen game. Gray is more risky RB2 than many think off his four-touchdown outburst."
Ya don't say? It is a new week after all. Chase those points fellas!
LOL. You really think we should be listening to your advice after last week?
If you are stuck having to start a NE RB then you are in serious doo-doo. Who wants to chase the points and rack your brain trying to figure out who to start? And often, it doesn't matter who you start...you aren't going to get starter points. Unless you are in the deepest of leagues a NE RB is not worth starting. I'm in a 32 team ppr league with deep rosters, I have Vereen and even he has been a disappointment. Behind the likes of Matt Asiata, Chris Ivory, Jeremy Hill, and Lamar Miller.
Ridley had two games this year where he notched over 20 carries. Week 2 (or 3) and 5 I believe. Since then, each RB has been sprinkled in a little.
It's not worth it just so you can come on here and say: "I started such and such NE RB this week and he scored 18 points! I told you so."
It's a total crapshoot and only worth it if you have zero other options.
Most people in here are in what...10 to 12 team leagues? LaFell, Edelman, and any NE RB probably aren't even in starting lineups in those types of leagues. UNLESS you have deep starting lineups.
For example, in my 12 team redraft with basic PPR scoring (not a lot of variables), out of Vereen, Lafell, Edelman, and Gray, ONLY Lafell is rostered and he's on the bench.
I don't have access to any of my standard scoring leagues at the moment, but I would bet that the outcome would be the same.
But seems to me you'd be pretty "clueless" if you did start them.
It takes some pretty big balls to be so emphatic about something, be completely and totally wrong about it, and then come back the following week and be emphatic again.
I repeat..."LOL!". You got lucky and out of desperation of not having any other options, trotted Gray out there and he had the game of his career. He'll probably never be heard from again and ride off into the sunset after this year. Good for you and good for Jonas Gray. Good for anyone that started him as a shot in the dark.
But the moral of the story here is that there still isn't a single NE back you can start on a weekly basis with any confidence. Sure, people are saying this week will be Vereen's week. I'm not buying that at all. Once Belicheck gets wind that that is the expected outcome, he'll trot Bolden or White out there just to say nobody dictates what he does.
Hell, I wouldn't put it past Belicheck to pick up Blount again or Tate, roll him out there for 20 carries this week, then turn around and cut them after this week.
If you have Vereen, it probably means you overpaid for him and are forced to hold him, or you have no other valid options due to injuries or underperforming. He's pretty much the only one that has a decent shot of putting up 5 points for you on a weekly basis. That's about as "consistent" as it gets for NE backs.
I'm not hating, just reiterating my point that the NE backfield is nothing more than a headache and isn't worth the constant struggle of trying to figure out who will get the points any given week.