New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen is active for Monday Night Football’s game against the Carolina Panthers. He was back at practice all week and faced stiffer competition than he had seen previously.
Shane Vereen ready to go for those patient fantasy owners out there
Shane Vereen will make his much-awaited return on Monday. We break down the fantasy implications.
Tom Szczerbowski
He’s been back at practice since October 30 and is finally eligible to return to the lineup in a huge game against one of the league’s best defenses.
In true Patriot fashion, there has been no clear indication in how the Patriots will use their running back. There has been some talk of it depending on score and they might just take a wait-and-see approach as the game progresses.
Vereen was arguably the most head-turning player on the Patriots back in the preseason. Heck, you could even make a case that he was one of the better players in the entire league. The team lines him up all over the field and the wrist injury suffered in Week 1 was devastating.
In that Week 1 game, he was going off in a major way. The Cal product had 101 rushing yards on 14 carries to go with seven receptions for 58 yards against the Buffalo Bills.
Fantasy impact: Chances are if you’re going to still have an open FLEX spot, you’re going to start Vereen. If you’re in the unlikely spot where you’re looking at someone like Vereen, DeAngelo Williams or Brandon LaFell, it has to do more with your situation. If you really need to hit a home run and are down big, Vereen makes sense to start. If you only need a couple points, sitting him seems feasible.
