Tuesday sent a shock-wave through the likes of Ben Tate and LeGarrette Blount as they were dismissed from their teams. After Tate’s game against the Texans this previous Sunday (2 rushes, -9 yards), he complained to brass about the lack of touches he received. In similar fashion, Blount walked off the bright lights of Monday Night Football early because he didn’t register a single carry during the game. Their moans and groans were heard and were sent packing on the following Tuesday.
One cleared through waivers and another was snatched up before Wednesday came to a close. Let’s take a closer look at these players and what they bring to your fantasy teams.
Late Season Swing: Fantasy Implications of Ben Tate and LeGarrette Blount
Ben Tate, MIN RB- It became increasingly clear that the Browns were transitioning the backfield into a younger, healthy unit. Through his first five years in the NFL, Tate has battled the injury bug which continued after he exited week 1 with a lame knee. The rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell proved that they could handle the load in his absence. He returned, and once the Browns saw Tate’s yards per carry (YPC) diminish week after week they lightened his load and eventually limited him to two carries last week that went for a putrid -9 yards.
The Minnesota Vikings didn’t let Tate slip to the Indianapolis Colts. This week has been pretty tough on the team with Adrian Peterson’s legal issues, Matt Asiata’s concussion, and the rookie Jerrick “Jet” McKinnon working through a back injury so it was a glaring need that Minnesota figured they could patch for the time being. I wouldn’t expect a lot of work for the newly acquired Tate, but he could provide Teddy Bridgewater with the pass protection that McKinnon lacks, and garner a few touches if the situation gets grim. He is worth rostering on pure intrigue, but I wouldn’t insert him into a lineup until we know what Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner’s intentions are with him.
LeGarrette Blount, NE RB- It appears that he could not handle being an afterthought in the run game when he took off to the locker room in the fourth quarter this past Monday. Le’Veon was simply too effective to even consider giving the ball to Blount.
Blount comes home; or at least to the team that last kept him before the Steelers. It seems like Blount could jump right into play if Belicheck deems it necessary. The rookie Jonas Gray impressed with triple digit yardage and four touchdowns over last week’s win over the Colts, but that means absolutely nothing if it doesn’t fit Belicheck’s game plan for the next weeks tilt against the Detroit Lions. It is never easy to invest into the Patriots, except if it’s Rob Gronkowski or Tom Brady, but it is worth a shot to add Blount in deeper leagues in case of emergency or trickery by the “Hooded One”.
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