RADIO
The New England Patriots are shopping for another running back now that Dion Lewis is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. This week the Patriots have worked out free agent running backs Pierre Thomas and Robert Turbin.
It’s possible that the Patriots are just updating their emergency list. With Lewis out, LeGarrette Blount should shoulder the load, but James White and Brandon Bolden will likely play roles as well.
Out of the two backs that the Patriots worked out, Thomas would seem like the better fit. Bill Belichick loves receivers who can catch the football out of the backfield and Thomas used to excel in that area as a member of the New Orleans Saints. Turbin doesn’t really do anything great; he’s just a solid running back who has likely played his last down in the league.
Regardless if the Patriots sign another running back or not, Blount is the only one with fantasy value at this point. He can be considered a RB2 in Week 10 against the New York Giants. Thus far this season Blount has 447 yards on 98 carries and five touchdowns. He’s averaging a nice 4.6 yards per carry.
In other news, Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones has landed on the injury report with a quad issue. According to reports, Jones tweaked his leg in practice and is now considered questionable for Sunday’s Week 10 game against the Detroit Lions.
Through eight games thus far this season Jones has 24 receptions for 483 yards and six touchdowns. He played great earlier in the season, but has struggled as of late. Then again, the entire Packers offense – including quarterback Aaron Rodgers – has struggles.
If Jones plays against the Lions, I would rank him as a WR4. He just hasn’t been playing well as of late and is a boom-or-bust play. At this rate, the only way he would benefit your team is if he finds the end zone. In my opinion, he is a very risky option at wide receiver.
As far as the rest of the Packers offense, Rodgers is obviously a must start QB1. Running back James Starks can be considered a RB2 in PPR leagues and Eddie Lacy should be benched until the team starts using him again. Receiver Randall Cobb can be considered a high-end WR2 against the Lions.
Good luck this week!
