Without Tom Brady for the first four weeks of the NFL regular season, one would think that the New England Patriots will be hard pressed to produce any reliable fantasy football options. However, Brady’s absence could prove beneficial to the Patriots ground game for fantasy football. With that in mind, let’s forecast a Patriots fantasy preview.
2016 New England Patriots Fantasy Football Preview
Quarterback
Patriots fantasy production has always revolved around the quarterback position, and with Tom Brady suspended, it’s up to Jimmy Garoppolo to take the reigns. This proves worrisome as the third-year quarterback only had four pass attempts all last season and appeared in just five games. The good news, however, is that Garoppolo has shown in practice that he can throw, which can work in his favor. Nonetheless for the first month, buyers should beware. When Brady does return, there should be no reason not to buy into the 38-year-old arm.
Running Backs
LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis could very well be the best biggest beneficiaries through the first four games, especially Blount. In 2015, Blount was on pace for a career year until a Week 12 injury kept him out for the rest of the season. Blount totaled 703 yards and six touchdowns. Before a horrific ACL injury in Week 7, Lewis was the league’s best receiving back. Lewis had 36 receptions for 388 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to 234 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Look for Blount and Lewis to contribute mightily upon Brady’s return.
Wide Receiver
Julian Edelman has cemented himself as the best and most reliable possession receiver in the league, and four games without his quarterback could either prove to be catastrophic or a statistical miracle. Before getting injured in Week 9, the Kent State product reeled in 61 receptions for 692 yards and seven touchdowns. Danny Amendola was on the hot seat in 2015, and most thought he wouldn’t grace the Patriots roster in 2016. Despite his roster placement, the addition of Chris Hogan and emergence of Keshawn Martin extremely deteriorates Amendola’s presence. Hogan could become the number two target in this corps when Brady returns, and he should easily surpass his 2015 total of 36 receptions for 450 yards.
Tight Ends
Once again the Patriots may have found the perfect companion in Martellus Bennett for Rob Gronkowski, except this one hasn’t killed anybody. The addition of Bennett should only boost Gronkowski’s effectiveness, not that that was an issue after another 1,000-yard season. Bennett is coming off a season in which his production was cut in half, but with Tom Brady behind center, the tandem should both be viable fantasy contributors after Week 4.
Kicker
Stephen Gostkowski has cemented himself as one of the best placekickers to lace up cleats, and 2015 was no exception after he once again ranked first in production among specialists.
Defense/Special Teams
Already a middle-of-the-road unit in team defense (placed 15th overall in 2015), the departure of Chandler Jones this season might not work in the Patriots’ favor. While the team did finish second in sacks, it’s unlikely they will be a popular fantasy option with the loss of Jones, despite adding Terrance Knighton.
While we’ve merely previewed the Patriots fantasy options in 2016, there very well could be a few sleepers that we did not think of. It’s unlikely that Patriots team members will produce at the same level without Tom Brady for the first four games, but it could prove beneficial with the ball being put on the ground more.
Main Photo:
