Whether you love them or hate them, the New England Patriots enter the 2014 season once again as the dominant team of the AFC East, coming off of a 12-4 season. Along with producing several wins in 2013, some of the team’s key players rewarded fantasy owners generously, while others let their owners down.
Last year left fantasy owners who drafted the injury-prone Danny Amendola frustrated to say the least. Those who trusted Rob Gronkowski to stay healthy got duped, and Tom Brady didn’t exactly reward top-five quarterback numbers. All was not bad, however as Julian Edelman was a late season fantasy surprise if you picked him up off the waivers.
The running back situation for the Patriots last season was complicated to say the least, leaving fantasy owners wondering which back would earn the lions’ share of fantasy points from week to week. There was Stevan Ridley, who found himself friends with a bench more often than desired, for fumbling issues, and Shane Vereen who missed the beginning of the season due to injuries.
With such a complex set of circumstances the Patriots presented their fantasy owners with last season, inquiring minds want to know what lies ahead for their Patriots in 2014. Let’s take a look at the star players to determine what they might produce for the 2014 fantasy football season.
Tom Brady, Quarterback
One thing about the seasoned veteran, entering into his 15th year in the NFL, is that no matter what or who Brady has to face, he still manages to win games for his team. Brady’s receiver options were vastly different and rustic from what they were in previous seasons, and his trusty tight end, Gronkowski missed multiple games. Despite his obstacles in 2013, he still managed over 4,300 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.
2014 should have Brady developing his rapport the team’s newer receivers like Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins. Edelman, who ended up Brady’s right-hand man, with 105 receptions will continue to provide stability to the team. Amendola, who was practically useless last season, really couldn’t do any more damage than he did last year. Gronkowski looks to be on schedule to return in Week 1 and as long as he’s healthy, he’s a beast to stop near the end zone. In addition to his receivers, Brady also has at his disposal, Vereen who had 47 receptions and 427 receiving yards last season.
With this said, Brady’s stock looks to be on the upswing for 2014. He’s skilled at maximizing what he has to work with, and since he now has a full season under his belt with some of the team’s new players, Brady’s numbers should rise. Where he finished 2013 as the 15th ranked quarterback, all signs point towards Brady moving up in the ranks nudging his way into a top-10 ranked quarterback for 2014.
Shane Vereen, Running Back
Vereen is beginning his fourth year with the Patriots, and even though he missed eight of the regular season games, he had his most productive season yet. Most valuable perhaps in points per reception leagues when fantasy owners are awarded points for catches, Vereen can add value to your fantasy team. As mentioned above, he had 47 catches and that was for only half of the season. If he remains healthy, he plays a vital role in the Patriots’ short passing game.
If you’re planning on drafting Vereen purely for his rush yards, that is where he’ll come up short. In the eight games he played, he only managed 208 rushing yards and one touchdown. With other running backs in the picture, and depending on your fantasy scoring system, Vereen looks to be sit as a flex in 2014.
Stevan Ridley, Running Back
Ridley produced 773 rushing yards with seven touchdowns and performed rather well in 2013 for the most part. However, his fumbles caused him to be benched at the most inopportune times for his fantasy owners. If Ridley improves his ball security in 2014, he’ll surely remain the team’s top rusher in 2014. While it would be ambitious to hope for true RB1 fantasy numbers, mid-range RB2 numbers are more to be expected out of Ridley in 2014.
The Patriots are without running back, LeGarrette Blount, so we don’t have to worry about him sniping the goal line carries. Draft Ridley as your third running back, and he should be worth the pick.
Julian Edelman, Wide Receiver
Edelman stepped up when his quarterback needed him most in 2013. The whole Amendola experiment went horribly awry so Edelman became Brady’s No. 1 man. Finishing the season with 1,056 yards on 105 catches and scoring six touchdowns, made Edelman quite the waiver wire find later in the season.
If Amendola proves to be his usual injured self again in 2014, expect Edelman to carry the bulk of the load. Keep in mind the team has Dobson, Thompkins and the newly added Brandon LaFell on the roster, so Edelman won’t be a high-end WR1, but he should produce solid WR2 fantasy numbers in 2014.
Rob Gronkowski, Tight End
Gronkowski, at 6’-6” is a monster and a fantasy football point machine when on the field. However, can he remain on the field all season in 2014 is the troubling question. His last full season was in 2011, and since then, he has only played in 17 games over the past two years.
Recovering from multiple surgeries, Gronkowski is slated to return to play in Week 1, and if you’re the gambling type, you should draft him, and expect elite TE1 numbers. Have a backup tight end handy though, as Gronkowski could be just one fall away from a season-ending injury.
Biggest Fantasy Surprise: Kenbrell Thompkins, Wide Receiver
I see Thompkins rising in fantasy value in 2014. He’s starting just his second career year with the team and managed an impressive 14.6 yards per return on the catches he had. He made a decent fantasy plug in last season during some of his bigger weeks, and if he and Brady can keep developing their chemistry, Thompkins could be a sleeper to have on your fantasy roster in 2014.
Defenses are wise about Edelman now, so Brady will surely be looking more in the direction of Thompkins, who proved to be quite the red zone threat last year, catching some fabulous touchdowns.
Biggest Fantasy Disappointment: Danny Amendola, Wide Receiver
This is a pretty obvious call, but I am going to have to stick with last season’s biggest disappointment and conclude that once again, Amendola will bring little value to the Patriots, and even littler value to your fantasy table in 2014.
Amendola hasn’t completed 16 games since 2010. He is constantly riddled with injuries and even though he played in 12 games last year, all he had was 633 receiving yards and two touchdowns to show for his efforts. Perhaps it’s Amendola’s height at 5’-11” that stands in the way of him getting his hands on the ball, or Brady finding him on the field. Whatever the issue is with Amendola, I wouldn’t advise drafting him until extreme late draft rounds and at this time, merely as WR depth on your bench.
How the Schedule Impacts Their Outlook
Out of the Patriots 16 season games for 2014, they face a top-10 defense in just five of their matchups. The toughest opponents they will play are Kansas City in Week 5, and Cincinnati in Week 6. A meeting versus Denver is always a fan favorite as the Patriots host the Broncos in Week 9.
After a Week 10 bye week the Patriots have some softer matchups against Indianapolis, Detroit, Green Bay, San Diego and Miami.
A couple late season games during the end of December could offer some pesky weather conditions as the Patriots play at Metlife December 21 and host Buffalo in Week 17. Overall, the Patriots schedule is not overly frightening and they should easily and once again be the dominating team of the AFC East.