The New England Patriots running back situation is a complete mess - for fantasy purposes. While Bill Belichick loves it, fantasy owners hate it. Sammy Morris is the nominal RB1, although the disappointing Laurence Maroney is still in the mix. Don't forget wily veteran Fred Taylor who has looked good in camp so far. Of course, the always-present Kevin Faulk is there to make your life fantasy miserable; last season he finished with more rushing yards than Darren McFadden, Ray Rice or Leon Washington despite starting only three games. There's no way to know how the Patriot running game will work out.
Patriots Running Backs Will Drive You Crazy
Now you can add BenJarvis Green-Ellis into the mix. Green-Ellis was an absolute monster versus the Giants on Thursday, racking up 125 yards and 3 TDs on 29 carries. Sure, he’s practically the only running back that played (he had every RB carry except one) and yes, the QB was Brian Hoyer, so you wouldn’t expect a massive passing attack. But featured RB or not, preseason game or not, you can’t overlook 29 carries for 125 yards. Those stats demand you take notice, especially since we’ve seen this from him before.
Last season Green-Ellis came out of nowhere to be a fantasy-waiver darling, scoring a rushing touchdown in four straight games. He finished with five rushing touchdowns for the season, the same total as Larry Johnson and Willie Parker.
I’m not suggesting you draft BenJarvis Green-Ellis - he might be as low as fourth on the Patriots’ RB depth chart right now - but his success demonstrates how uncertain the title of Patriots RB1 can be. Green-Ellis could disappear, or he could go on another four-game TD streak sometime this season. The same could be said of Morris or Taylor or Maroney. Green-Ellis’ recent production coupled with the fact the coaching staff gave him so many carries should be a sign to fantasy owners that ANY Patriot RB you draft could see his playing time disappear, or appear, at any time. Somebody could break free from that group...or nobody could.
Buyer beware: Drafting a New England RB carries a lot of fantasy risk, with uncertain fantasy reward.
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