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Dion Lewis (1 Viewer)

17 touches, 108 total yards and an 8 yard TD run while losing out on a second TD to Blount after getting pushed out of bounds at the one on a 13 yard reception on 3rd and 8.

 
Translation: Lewis is healthy enough to start playing football, but they will be working him into the rotation to (1) get him in "football" shape and (2) acclimate him to their offensive schemes that have changed since the beginning of the season.
Hmm, my translation is different:

Lewis is healthy enough to start playing football, and I'm not going to tell you anything about how we will or won't use him.

 
Lewis has a few hurdles before he has any significant value

1/ Unlike last season, L.Blount is playing very well.

2/ James White has established a role for himself.

3/ Rust - It's going to take him a couple of games to get his legs back.

4/The Patriots are loaded at every skill position. There are only so many balls to go around.

5/ Pure speculation on my part, but I think the Patriots will limit his use until the playoffs. He is too valuable a weapon to get injured in a meaningless regular season game. The Patriots seemingly wrapped up the AFC East in week three.

 
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Lewis has a few hurdles before he has any significant value

1/ Unlike last season, L.Blount is playing very well.

2/ James White has established a role for himself.

3/ Rust - It's going to take him a couple of games to get his legs back.

4/The Patriots are loaded at every skill position. There are only so many balls to go around.

5/ Pure speculation on my part, but I think the Patriots will limit his use until the playoffs. He is too valuable a weapon to get injured in a meaningless regular season game. The Patriots seemingly wrapped up the AFC East in week three.
The Patriots seemingly wrapped up the AFC East in 2009

 
My thoughts are Dion Lewis should net about 12 points in ppr tomorrow night.

I am basing that on a combination of things.

Bolden's value to that team is truly Special teams and being able to fill the rb role in a pinch. He does both well.

The Patriots are missing a lot of their parts right now and given the style of Defense the Steelers play, I expect them to be making lots and lots of short passes and, by volume, some of that goes to the RBs, which Lewis and Cadet fill the role better than Bolden.

Given that Cadet hasn't really been involved so far, I think the Patriots will prefer to use the guys that have more reps in at this point.

Given that the Steelers offense will certainly carve up pieces of the Patriots defense that is a work in progress, I see the sustained need to keep throwing throughout the game (I don't see any scenario where the Patriots get up by 17 and then run the ball down the Steelers throat for a quarter).

Looking at 7-8 different likely outcomes, I think most of them point to Lewis being involved pretty well so a handful of catches and a handful of yards should get him to 12. A lot less of either BUT a TD in some fashion still gets him there.

I like him for that dozen or so tomorrow.
This is what I said about Lewis last year before opening night vs the steelers. (HE got 14 instead of the 12 I predicted).

This week I see him in a similar role with Gronk  missing and playing an opponent that can kind of hang around at home for a bit but will ultimately be able to do what they want on Sunday.  

I see Lewis with at least a dozen this week.  I think he's going to get some easy short passes to get into the feel of things and I'm here to tell you, those Niner lbers are going to look bad against him.  

 
Is he worth starting over Hyde this week in  a ppr league? I'm torn on what to do. Hyde's been horrible in the two games he's played with Kaep at QB. Man, I wish the hoodie was a little more forthcoming with info about what his usage will be this Sunday.

 
I'm pushing the stack in this week with Gronk out and Hogan out...yes they have Bennett, but this game seems like a great matchup for a coming out party.  At least that is what I have myself convinced of.

 
Man, I wish the hoodie was a little more forthcoming with info about what his usage will be this Sunday.
or, uh, anything since he became HC. Injuries, suspensions, cuts, roles, usage, snaps, anything. Worst team in the NFL to have anything ambiguous happen to one of your players. I was a Deion Branch owner a long while back. Dude was money for me the year before, and I thought I stole him late. Then he got hurt and it was reportedly "knee soreness, Probable". He'd miss the game and the next week it'd be "Limited in practice, knee soreness, Probable". The next week would be "knee soreness, probable" and Brady started showing up as "shoulder, probable". 

This went on for 7 or 8 weeks IIRC, and then it finally came out that Branch tore his ACL and would have knee surgery. They knew it was a torn ACL the whole time.

That's a season ending injury and no one knew for months except the Pats. And only a couple of them it seems, because no way it wouldn't have leaked if more than a few people knew. 

So yeah - good luck getting info about player utilization from BB. :lol:  

 
I'm pushing the stack in this week with Gronk out and Hogan out...yes they have Bennett, but this game seems like a great matchup for a coming out party.  At least that is what I have myself convinced of.
You'll be greatly disappointed.

They don't need him for SF.

Seriously. This is an organization that didn't carry a third QB when BOTH Jimmy G and Brisset were banged up. And Gronk was still out. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Lewis isn't unleashed close to playoff time.

 
Definitely not necessary with plenty of depth at the position (Mitchell, Amendola,) but it would be interesting to see if with Hogan out they rolled Lewis and White out and moved James out wide like they had been practicing in training camp.

 

 
kyoun1e said:
You'll be greatly disappointed.

They don't need him for SF.

Seriously. This is an organization that didn't carry a third QB when BOTH Jimmy G and Brisset were banged up. And Gronk was still out. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Lewis isn't unleashed close to playoff time.
I can't think of BB "holding back" on a player for the playoffs or a good opponent. It is antithetical to his football philosophy. If a player is still hurt he will slowly bring them back and manage them like Gronk. But if they are 100% they get managed as such. 

So the question is is Dion still a little gimpy or is he 100%? Knowing BB if he was still gimpy he never would have come off PUP. I honestly think any other opponent than Seattle or Baltimore he plays him last week but just didn't want such a physical match up for his first game back. 

In non ppr I'm debating Rawls or Dion this week with different sides of same coin. But I'd play him over James White

 
I am excited to get Dion back for a stretch run for my fantasy team, but despite the favorable matchup, there is no way I am putting him in my lineup this week.  I cannot imagine Dion getting more than a handful of plays this week after a prolonged absence, especially in a game they should command easily. While I believe Dion's conditioning and skills may be just fine, he has not absorbed a football hit in over a year. 

 
Shutout said:
This is what I said about Lewis last year before opening night vs the steelers. (HE got 14 instead of the 12 I predicted).

This week I see him in a similar role with Gronk  missing and playing an opponent that can kind of hang around at home for a bit but will ultimately be able to do what they want on Sunday.  

I see Lewis with at least a dozen this week.  I think he's going to get some easy short passes to get into the feel of things and I'm here to tell you, those Niner lbers are going to look bad against him.  
So last year, he was not coming off an injury, no Blount that game, no White as a proven offensive weapon that game, but you see these situations as similar??

What's more, why do you think SF can "kind of hang around for another?"  The lines (& the caliber of both teams) suggests otherwise. 

Lewis might do well, but the reasons you give don't really seem logical.

 
I can't think of BB "holding back" on a player for the playoffs or a good opponent. It is antithetical to his football philosophy. If a player is still hurt he will slowly bring them back and manage them like Gronk. But if they are 100% they get managed as such. 

So the question is is Dion still a little gimpy or is he 100%? Knowing BB if he was still gimpy he never would have come off PUP. I honestly think any other opponent than Seattle or Baltimore he plays him last week but just didn't want such a physical match up for his first game back. 

In non ppr I'm debating Rawls or Dion this week with different sides of same coin. But I'd play him over James White
You seem to be contradicting yourself.  You say it is antithetical for BB to hold back a player for the playoffs/good opponent,  but that he held back a healthy Lewis against Seattle because of the opponent's physicality?  

So he won't hold Lewis back this week b/c of the opponent, but he would have/did last week?

 
kyoun1e said:
You'll be greatly disappointed.

They don't need him for SF.

Seriously. This is an organization that didn't carry a third QB when BOTH Jimmy G and Brisset were banged up. And Gronk was still out. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Lewis isn't unleashed close to playoff time.
Way to burst my bubble of optimism.  My fantasy scenario sounded so much better.

 
BB is tough to figure out. I agree with the logic of easing along Lewis slowly and trying to save him for the stretch run. But I think that is our logic not necessarily BB's.

First of all they are in a 4 way race for home field with the AFC West and they haven't even clinched their own division yet. They should, but the Dolphins are red hot right now and cannot be overlooked.  Until they sew up their playoff seed I see no way BB holds back on anything.

I also can't stop thinking about how BB & TB seem to love running up the score. How many times over the years has BB not only left TB under center, but still passing, late in games that are well under control?

Yeah I don't think we can apply simple human logic to BB. I wouldn't be surprised to see Lewis as a healthy scratch or to see him get 20+ touches in a game that is well in hand.

 
If a player is still hurt he will slowly bring them back and manage them like Gronk. But if they are 100% they get managed as such. 
These don't have to be mutually exclusive. A player can be 100% back and ready, but given that it's been a year since he's seen real time game action (which you can never fully experience in practice) that player can be eased back in -- to recalibrate at game speed and simply for situational reasons (the guy who replaced you is helping the team win).

No reason why BB wouldn't approach using Lewis more sparingly even if he is fully ready to go.

 
I am playing him tomorrow ahead of Rob Kelley in a PPR league which gives huge bonuses for long tds. 

FWIW, I would make the same call without the long-td bonus.  And no, I am not tanking - I am currently lead my division by 2 games with 3 to play. But yes I can be a bit hard headed, I see that FantasyPros tells me that 68 of 68 experts play Kelley ahead of Lewis this week.  I am probably giving too much credence to the Blount quote and BB's obsession with trying to hide his hand.

 
Anyone else seeing this as the opportunity to begin to get some Lewis some game time?  Seattle would not have been that game.    If BB wants to see how if DLew is in football shape, a game that they should expect to run the ball extensively would be the game to do that.  They know what they have in James White. (steady, not impressive).  Blount is going to need a breather at some point.  They only way you get ready for playoff games is getting action in regular season games.

I see a very likely scenario that the put Dion on the field today and try to get him a handful of touches.  

Perhaps I am overly optimistic, but with both Forte and Gordon on bye - my choice this week comes down to Lewis or Akeem Hunt.  Unless Lewis is not active, I'll be one of the few people with him in my starting lineup.

 
BB is tough to figure out. I agree with the logic of easing along Lewis slowly and trying to save him for the stretch run. But I think that is our logic not necessarily BB's.

First of all they are in a 4 way race for home field with the AFC West and they haven't even clinched their own division yet. They should, but the Dolphins are red hot right now and cannot be overlooked.  Until they sew up their playoff seed I see no way BB holds back on anything.

I also can't stop thinking about how BB & TB seem to love running up the score. How many times over the years has BB not only left TB under center, but still passing, late in games that are well under control?

Yeah I don't think we can apply simple human logic to BB. I wouldn't be surprised to see Lewis as a healthy scratch or to see him get 20+ touches in a game that is well in hand.
Could not agree more...anyone who thinks they know what BB will be doing here is a "fantasy fool"...nothing would surprise me from dressing and getting zero touches to getting 20 touches...

 
Could not agree more...anyone who thinks they know what BB will be doing here is a "fantasy fool"...nothing would surprise me from dressing and getting zero touches to getting 20 touches...
Agreed.  We have no idea.

Anyway, forced to start him in one league, where a short bench, bye weeks and injuries leave me with no other options.  I'll be happy with anything.

Being ruled out is a nightmare scenario as I have no one to drop.

 
So last year, he was not coming off an injury, no Blount that game, no White as a proven offensive weapon that game, but you see these situations as similar??

What's more, why do you think SF can "kind of hang around for another?"  The lines (& the caliber of both teams) suggests otherwise. 

Lewis might do well, but the reasons you give don't really seem logical.
Just one guy's opinion. I have been fairly good at reading the likelihood of the Pat's offense for a while now so thought I'd toss it out there.  The thing that matters is the outcome so since you seem to agree on the outcome, there's really no sense arguing over whether it was the onion or the garlic powder that made the soup taste good, now is there?  

I just want to watch the game and see if he gets to that number.  The rest is nitpicking.

 
Lewis is getting a healthy number of snaps for his first day back, I think owners have reason to be cautiously optimistic.
yeah, it's actually very promising.  He looks good. The play White scored on is a typical "made for Lewis" type play. He just wasn't in on that play.  So far, I haven't seen anything to concern myself with any of their RBs. Some Bount owners might be feeling a bead of sweat on the brow but I'd say it has as much to do with weather and no Gronk as anything so far today. 

 
White isn't going away - kid plays hard. That 1st down was all him. 

Pats are scary with both White & Lewis IMO. 

 
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My hope and what I think we're seeing, so far, is Lewis being a little rusty in regards to the game plan and his own physical ability. Both of those should continue to improve. With regards to White, he looks a lot better today than I can remember seeing him in recent memory but a big part of that can be attributed to the competition. I don't think Lewis will take the job outright purely because it was his job before. I do think that we will see White's usage drop off though if we come to see that this performance really has more to do with the 49ers than with his improvement.

 
People seemed to be drooling over his performance.  DIdn't get to see the games or the highlights.  His box score doesn't look that impressive.  Did he really look that good?

 
People seemed to be drooling over his performance.  DIdn't get to see the games or the highlights.  His box score doesn't look that impressive.  Did he really look that good?
As a Dion owner and a Pats fan, I'm a lot more excited as a Pats fan.  I thought it looked good in limited snaps and I think the Pats will ride him come playoff time.  I suspect he shares time with White through the end of the regular season.

 
Much like last year in PPR, Lewis will be a much better play against teams with tough run defenses where they throw 50+ times and run about 10-15 times.

And yes, Lewis is easily going to take most of White's snaps soon, very soon. He is a better player, and does the things they need to do from that position much better than White.

Blount will still be a nice play against the teams like the 49ers where they are just head and shoulders superior.

 
Much like last year in PPR, Lewis will be a much better play against teams with tough run defenses where they throw 50+ times and run about 10-15 times.

And yes, Lewis is easily going to take most of White's snaps soon, very soon. He is a better player, and does the things they need to do from that position much better than White.

Blount will still be a nice play against the teams like the 49ers where they are just head and shoulders superior.
To help clarify this (my 2 cents) -- Lewis is a better player than White because he makes them less predictable.  Lewis is a strong runner between the tackles despite his size.  White's not much when handed the ball, but a great receiver.  The problem for White is that Lewis is just as good of a receiver (if not better), and much better running the ball.

Defenses know White's going to be running pass routes 90% of the time.  They have no idea what's coming with Lewis.

 
People seemed to be drooling over his performance.  DIdn't get to see the games or the highlights.  His box score doesn't look that impressive.  Did he really look that good?
Drooling might be a bit of an exaggeration. He di have one play where he should have been tackled in the backfield but made a split second jump cut to get outside for a decent gain (and I believe a first down). Made the would be tackler look light he was tackling air.

Lewis had 5 carries for 23 yards and 5 targets with 3 receptions for 26 yards. That's 10 looks and 49 yards in only 21 snaps.

 
To help clarify this (my 2 cents) -- Lewis is a better player than White because he makes them less predictable.  Lewis is a strong runner between the tackles despite his size.  White's not much when handed the ball, but a great receiver.  The problem for White is that Lewis is just as good of a receiver (if not better), and much better running the ball.

Defenses know White's going to be running pass routes 90% of the time.  They have no idea what's coming with Lewis.
I would say this is correct.  Lewis is better than White at both running and receiving.

However, at this moment he isn't really "game ready", and the 49ers were a nice game to be able to throw him out there.   I am not sure how good of a play Lewis will be for the rest of this fantasy season, I just know that at this time there is no way I would be putting White in the lineup unless I was incredibly desperate. 

Also, maybe starting week 13, I think Lewis will be the best PPR back to own from NE.

 
Will say this about White -- he looked damned good taking that pass around the end to the house. Great catch, great run, and an incredibly powerful thrust for the score, lowering his pads and seeking contact on the DB coming for him. Clearly knocked the defender back to power into the EZ.

I think BB is going to continue using both White and Lewis depending on game flow and their success. This isn't going to be Dion just being handed the reins.

 

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