Fantasy
Patriots Fantasy Sleeper: Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski
by Greg Knopping on Oct 9, 2011 11:35 AM EDT
in Fantasy
Each week, for the rest of the 2011 NFL Season, we'll preview one fantasy player on the Patriots roster who is a "sleeper" for the upcoming week.
Darrelle Revis and the Jets have made it perfectly well known that they are out to stop Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker today. It makes sense - Welker has been destroying NFL defenses all season long. But the thing that makes this Patriots offense really unique is that they have so many different types of weapons that can hurt you on a consistent basis.
My guess is that the Jets are going to stick Revis on Welker for the majority of the game. Kyle Wilson has proven capable this year, and he will likely be matched up on the outside on either Deion Branch or Aaron Hernandez, playing a decent amount of snaps. Antonio Cromartie is the other starter and he will take the player who Wilson doesn't cover or vice-versa.
Either way you put it, the Patriots have four players who are capable receivers. The team's two tight ends, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, are match-up nightmares. The Jets have three capable cornerbacks, meaning that either a safety or linebacker is likely to cover whoever is left over from Aaron Hernandez or Rob Gronkowski.
The Patriots' tight ends are destined to have a big day today. If the Jets think that the 5'8" inch Jim Leonhard can neutralize the 6'7" Rob Gronkowski, they are sadly mistaken. When it comes to setting your fantasy line-ups this week, starting either Patriots tight end seems like a safe bet (I don't think Hernandez' knee injury will prevent him from playing.)
Patriots Fantasy Football Preview: Who to Draft?
by Greg Knopping on Aug 6, 2011 1:48 PM EDT
in Fantasy
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Every year, the Patriots are a hot-button when it comes to fantasy football discussion. While, as a team, they put up huge numbers, they can be a head-ache when it comes to fantasy football owners. Week-to-week, you can never predict who will be the leading rusher and/or leading receiver. That being said, here's are six major Patriots, and whether or not we think you should draft them.
Tom Brady, QB, #12
Verdict: Good bet
Projected Line: 4200 yards, 32 touchdowns, 9 interceptions
Thoughts: Tom Brady is about as you of a bet as you can get when it comes to the New England Patriots and fantasy football. Barring a significant injury (knock on wood), Tom will get his 30+ touchdown and 4,000 yards, no matter who is on the receiving end. Tom is worth a mid-late first round pick (or earlier, if you're like me and prefer to draft a quarterback over a running back).
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, #42
Verdict: Flip a coin on it
Projected Line: 925 yards, 10 touchdowns
Thoughts: I think BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a solid, albeit risky fantasy option. The Patriots have a healthy multitude of backs heading into 2011. While Green-Ellis is the projected starter, there's no doubt that he could see a dip in his carries. Less carries presumably means less yards, which could mean less touchdowns. You can still draft Green-Ellis, I just would wait until the fifth round or later.
Rob Gronkowski, TE, #87
Verdict: Good bet
Projected Line: 55 catches, 710 yards, 10 touchdowns
Thoughts: Sure, Gronkowski will be splitting time with Aaron Hernandez, but he is becoming an elite tight end who will see plenty of throws in the red zone. Tom will be looking his way more next year, and considering his impressive rookie campaign, there's no reason not to take Gronkowski.
Chad Ochocinco, WR, #85
Verdict: Bad bet
Projected Line: 69 catches, 790 yards, 4 touchdowns
Thoughts: Ochocinco is a risk, even as a #2 receiver. While his production will likely be fairly decent, with the number of weapons the Patriots have, you can't count on him to produce consistently from week to week. Ochocinco might be worth a late round flier, but shouldn't be taken in the early rounds.
Four more previews after the jump!
Report: Patriots to Hold Pre-Draft Visit with OT Nate Solder
by Greg Knopping on Mar 28, 2011 10:14 AM EDT
in Fantasy
According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, the New England Patriots are scheduled to hold a visit with Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder this week.
Solder, a former tight end, stands at over 6'8" and 319 pounds. He's got a tremendous work ethic as evidenced by the fact that he's put on over 70 pounds over muscle since arriving at Colorado as a freshman (according to NFP, he still has just 8% body fat, despite arriving to the program at 244 lbs). Because of his background as a tight end, Solder is extremely athletic for an offensive tackle, running in the 4.9's and showing great side-to-side range and quickness. His run blocking doesn't quite match his pass blocking skills, but he shows a high effort and is strong enough to deal with the 3-4 defensive ends/tackles that he would see a lot of in the AFC if drafted by the Patriots. Solder could still benefit from adding some weight to his frame, but other than that, looks like a top 25 pick in this April's draft.
One of the interesting things about Solder is that he primarily would project as a left tackle in the NFL. If the Patriots end up targeting Solder in the first round, it would likely spell the end for Matt Light as a Patriot. While Light could likely hold down a starting spot for one more year, I'd find it unlikely that he would start for longer than that. Because of the fact that he will likely have to choose his destination after the draft, he would likely choose to sign elsewhere if Solder was already in the fold. In addition, drafting Solder would likely cement Sebastian Vollmer's role as the team's right tackle for the remainder of his Patriots career. Personally, I would prefer if the Patriots drafted a player such as Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi, who could play both tackle spots or right guard.
However, if the Patriots did end up taking Nate Solder somewhere in the 1st round, you could count me as one fan who would not be complaining.
Fantasy Football at Pats Pulpit: League Info
by Greg Knopping on Aug 16, 2010 6:34 PM EDT
in Fantasy
We're talking fantasy football again here at Pats Pulpit. As you know, SB Nation and Pats Pulpit have partnered up with CBSSports.com to offer you an exclusive 50% discount on their CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Commissioner Product.
Remember, if you signed up for one of the free spots in the league, make sure to check your email for the confirmation. It is important that you do this ASAP, otherwise we will give your spots away (we already have one person on the "waiting" list.
While the product isn't free, it offers a lot of features that no free league can match include complete customization from league size, to divisions, to rules, to custom logos, etc. With all of the tools available, I had a lot of fun constructing the league, and I thought that I would share the progress we have made on the league.
Here was some basic information on the Pats Pulpit League:
League Size: 12 Teams
Divisions: 4 (PP North, PP South, PP East, PP West)
Playoff Teams: 6
Offensive Positions: QB (1), RB (2), WR (3), TE (2), WR-TE (1), K (1)
Defensive Positions: DL (2), LB (2), DB (2), DL-LB-DB (1), ST (1)
Fantasy Football Primer: Patriots Edition
by Stephen Verman on Aug 9, 2010 12:58 AM EDT
in Fantasy
The 2010 NFL season is nearly upon us. The excitement is building. The Patriots are out on the practice field getting back in shape, and I have been doing some preparation of my own: Fantasy preparation. As was previously announced on this site, PatsPulpit has teamed up with CBSSports.com to offer a generous 50% discount on their Fantasy Football Commissioner Product. This article will serve as a cheat sheet to help you draft a strong squad capable of dominating your opponents. I've also provided aNew England angle on each position, in case, like me, your team doesn't feel complete without a Patriot. I hope this article will help you select a championship team, but if you eventually come up short, feel free to put all the blame on me.
There was a time in fantasy football when quarterback was the position you waited on because you could get a perfectly good one like Matt Hasselbeck or Donovan McNabb late in the draft. This is no longer the case. Whether you are doing a Snake style draft or an Auction, coming away with one of the blue-chip quarterbacks is strongly recommended. I try to make sure I have Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Payton Manning or Tom Brady. If all four are gone, at the very least get Matt Schaub, Tony Romo or Philip Rivers with a later pick. If none of these are available and you still haven't picked a quarterback, then you may as well abandon all hope.
Backup: For a backup during your starter's bye week I like Carson Palmer or Eli Manning. They probably won't light it up, but they'll give you 200-250 yards and 2 TDs, and hopefully your other players can pick up the slack.
Patriots Angle: I see Tom Brady having a great year. You can likely wait a bit to get him, as most owners will be running to Brees and Rodgers, allowing you to pick up a premier RB or WR in the first round.
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Fantasy Football at Pats Pulpit
by Greg Knopping on Aug 7, 2010 2:00 PM EDT
in Fantasy
As previously announced here, Pats Pulpit and SB Nation have teamed up with CBSSports.com to offer you an exclusive 50% discount on their Fantasy Football Commissioner Product.
Last week, we said we could offer a few free spots in the main Pats Pulpit league. We had a bunch of takers, but we still have three free spots available. If you would like one of these free spots, leave your name, email, and team name in the comments section, and I will be sure to add you to our league.
As for the league itself, I decided to play around with the rules a little bit, and I can up with some really cool stuff that you can only do with the CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Commissioner product. For example, we have three divisions of three teams each. Also, each roster has some real depth to it, with a roster max of 25 players. Instead of using team defenses, we are testing your knowledge of both sides of the ball, and are using two linebackers, two defensive lineman, and two defensive backs for each team. I think that by changing the rules around and adding in defensive players and deeper rosters, it should make the league a lot more competitive and fun. As for the live draft, I've set it for Wednesday, August 25th at 8:30 PM. This in tentative, and could be changed if multiple people request it.
Pats Pulpit Fantasy Football
by Greg Knopping on Jul 24, 2010 1:30 PM EDT
in Fantasy
This year at Pats Pulpit, we have teamed up with CBSSports.com through SB Nation to run our official fantasy league for the site. While the CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Commissioner leagues are paid, each league you buy through Pats Pulpit will really help support the site. We can also offer everyone who starts a paid league an exclusive 50% discount. Also, there is a 14 day free trial, so you can see if you like the features the Fantasy Football Commissioner leagues have to offer.
To begin the promotion, we are also offering a few free spots in our start-up league. Currently, we have at least six free slots to work with. So right now, I'm going to guarantee all six of them to the first six people who leave their name, email, and preferred team name in the comments. I may have up to eight or nine spots available, so be sure to leave your information even if the first six are filled.
Madden 2011 Ratings Released
by Richard Hill on Jun 6, 2010 11:26 AM EDT
in Fantasy
Some news for this weekend. Team ratings, as well as some drafted players' ratings, have been released. Not much more substance, beyond discussion:
Notably:
#1 New Orleans Saints - 92
#2 Indianapolis Colts - 91
#3 Baltimore Ravens - 90
#4 New York Jets - 89
#8 New England Patriots - 86
#16 Miami Dolphins - 79
#31 Buffalo Bills - 67
The Patriots dropped 2 points from last season, most likely due to not having a player emerge at the RDE position Richard Seymour left vacant. Also, I'm assuming Randy Moss dropped in points. In addition, I believe that our lack of a strong OLB opposite of Tully Banta-Cain hurts the team rating.
Individual Draftees after the jump!
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