Entering Sunday, New England Patriots running back Jonas Gray had 131 career yards and no touchdowns. His career numbers got a major boost as Gray had a career day in the Patriots' 42-20 win against the Indianapolis Colts.
Fantasy football waiver wire, Week 12: Jonas Gray explodes with 4 TDs
The new Patriots’ back had an all-time great day Sunday. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Gray ran the ball 38 times for 199 yards and four touchdowns, scoring on runs of 4, 2, 2 and 1 yards. Gray didn't even record his first career carry until Week 7, but the team opted for him instead Brandon Bolden and James White to fill the shoes of the injured Stevan Ridley. Gray and Shane Vereen worked as the top two running backs against the Colts with Gray carrying the majority of the load on the ground.
Fantasy impact: The main takeaway for the Patriots’ running game is that White and Bolden are truly not worth owning in fantasy. Vereen had only one carry (for 18 yards), but did catch four passes for 59 yards, keeping him relevant.
For Gray, he obviously isn’t going to have many more games of 43 fantasy points, as no one has games of 43 fantasy points with any regularity. He is, however, clearly the lead New England running back going forward. But, with the team going from a fairly generous Indianapolis run defense in Week 11 to a particularly stingy Detroit one in Week 12, Gray could see a steep dropoff in production. Still, he’ll be a fairly strong fantasy start next week.
