New England Patriots Preview

Moss, Stallworth turn good offense into a dominant one.

by Matt Olsen

The New England Patriots were one game away from returning to the Super Bowl last year before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game. As usual, head coach Bill Belichick and the front office has taken the necessary steps to build a team that many consider to be the favorite in the AFC this year. This team is loaded with players that will make a difference for your squad in the upcoming fantasy football season. So let’s see what’s got everyone so worked up in Foxboro.

Quarterback:

Let’s not kid ourselves here. We know what Tom Brady can do on the field and what it translates to in the fantasy football world. Last year he ranked sixth on the list of fantasy QBs and was a reliable option week in and week out despite the fact his receivers were absolute garbage. When Reche Caldwell is the best receiver on the field for the Pats and Brady still can average 220 yards passing and 1.5 TD passes a game; you start to understand how good this guy really is.

But what’s really got fantasy owners excited is the new and improved receiving corps the Patriots brass surrounded Brady with over the off-season. He’s now throwing to Randy Moss, Donte’ Stallworth and Wes Welker. Not to mention he’s got a great pass catching tight end in Ben Watson that will excel in the red zone.

With weapons like that on his side, Brady is going to get back to fantasy elite status and shouldn’t ranked any lower than number three on your draft board. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to try and take Brady relatively early in the draft because he is going to give you exactly what you’re looking for in a fantasy QB; consistency and the ability to break out for 4 TDs and 350 yards passing every once in awhile. Did I mention that he’s dating Victoria’s Secret supermodel Gisele Bundchen? Some guys have all the luck.

Matt Cassel is the only other QB on the Patriots roster. He threw a total of eight passes last year so I don’t think that he deserves much mentioning in the fantasy side of the game. Although I hear they might be interested in resigning Vinny Testaverde sometime before the season. But trust me, if you find yourself contemplating whether or not to pick him up do me a favor; quit fantasy football all together. 

Running Back:

Last year the Patriots selected Laurence Maroney in the first round and he definitely did not disappoint in his rookie campaign. Even though he was Corey Dillon’s backup, Maroney was still able to rack up 745 yards rushing and hit pay-dirt seven times. Now that Dillon has left the team, the path is clear for Maroney to step up and put up the kind of numbers you can expect from a number one fantasy back. He’s got the size to run over defenders and has enough speed to run right past them. Now that Brady has arguably the best receiving corps of his career, he will be able to spread the field and give Maroney plenty of room to run. With good hands out of the backfield, Maroney is going to be a key component of the Patriots offense and should inherit Dillon’s workload of the past. He’s worthy of a third to fourth round pick and you can be sure his team will be making a playoff push later in the year. Draft him with confidence, but make sure you try to take another back before him to ensure a solid two-headed running attack.

The backup running back for the Patriots will most likely be eight-year-veteran Kevin Faulk. He’s going to be responsible for spelling Maroney during games and probably will score from time to time when the Pats get into the red zone. I’d draft him if you were concerned about Maroney staying healthy through the season, but don’t pick him anywhere other than the last few rounds of the draft. However, if word comes out of Foxboro that the team will resume the running back by committee approach, you have my permission to take him a little sooner.

Wide Receiver/Tight End:

Tom Brady must be licking his chops thinking about what the Pats will be able to do with the receivers they signed during the off-season. The Pats traded the Oakland Raiders for disgruntled receiver Randy Moss and already reports are sounding like he’s looking like the player of old. The first couple of years Moss was in the league, he put up the kind of numbers legends are made of in fantasy football. However, since then, Moss has been a fantasy bust and last year he hit his lowest point with only 553 yards receiving and three TDs. A lot of people wasted a high pick on Moss last year only to get burned by his complete shutdown in production and will be hesitant to pick him again. But I am here to tell you that Moss is going to get back to his old form this year and has already showed signs of changing his attitude towards the game. He took a pay cut to make a trade to the Pats work out and is now surrounded by a group of guys that have been instilled with a ‘team first’ attitude. Brady will look to hit Moss deep downfield at least once a game and you can bet they’ll be successful pretty often. He’s still not back to being considered one of the top five fantasy wide receivers, but if he’s still available in the fourth round or later, get him.

The Pats acquired Donte’ Stallworth via free agency this off-season and by combining him with Moss, the team set up a deadly one-two combination that will cause nightmares for opposing defenses. He showed the kind of potential he has for game changing plays with the Eagles last year (725 yds receiving, 5 TD), and will be able to do the same for the Pats this season. Despite the decline in Moss’ play, he still will demand a double team from most defenses giving Stallworth more one-on-one match-ups with the other team’s second best cornerback. Another factor working in Stallworth’s favor is Brady’s ability to spread the ball all over the field. This translates into Stallworth having a very good year as a number two receiver in fantasy football. His stats should closely resemble what he did last year with the Eagles, and will be worthy of a pick somewhere between the seventh and tenth rounds.  Don’t reach for this guy, but don’t wait too long or you’re going to miss out.

Before the Pats added Moss and Stallworth to the mix, they snagged Wes Welker from the Miami Dolphins. Welker is an unknown to most casual NFL fans, but this guy can play with the best of him. He’s got decent speed and can absorb a hit without losing his feet. Working out of the slot with Stallworth and Moss on the ends is going to create a lot of mismatches for opposing defenses. There aren’t too many linebackers out there who will be able to keep up with Welker, but that doesn’t mean defenses aren’t going to try. Brady will find this guy whenever there is a mismatch and will definitely have the chance to break a couple long plays this year. He is the third receiving option on this team, so don’t think of taking him before Stallworth or Moss is off the board. But just like in real life, he does qualify as a decent third receiver in the fantasy realm so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pick him up late in the draft. But don’t expect crazy numbers from Welker, he’ll be a hit or miss guy all season long.

Brady looks for his tight end almost as much as he does his receivers on game-day and this year will be no different. Ben Watson had his best season as a pro last year (657 yds receiving, 3 TD) and is looking to build on that success this time around. He will get consistent looks in the red zone and will always catch the eye of Brady when the QB is scrambling out of the pocket. Finding a consistent TE is difficult in fantasy football and the position is not typically filled until late in the draft (unless you’re going for one of the top 3) by most GMs. Make sure you have filled the key positions (RB, WR, QB) before you think about drafting a TE. But when you do, I’d definitely consider giving Watson a look in the later rounds.

Defense/Special Teams:  The Patriots defense is only going to get better this year and should be considered one of the top three fantasy squads in the draft. Signing free agent Adalius Thomas in the off-season immediately added a new dimension to a defense that was already regarded as one of the NFL’s best. Thomas is considered a hybrid type LB that can rush the QB as effectively as he can stop the run. With Thomas, Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel lined up together, the Patriots defense will have the ability to stop even the most high-powered of offenses (i.e. Indianapolis Colts) and force plenty of turnovers.  They also added to their secondary by drafting S Brandon Meriweather out of the University of Miami (FL) in the first round and many believe he will be able to contribute immediately.

The only question mark on the defensive side is Pro Bowl CB Assante Samuel (10 INT in 2006). He came up with some big plays for the Pats last year and is threatening to sit out the first 10 games of season if the team doesn’t the remove the franchise tag it placed on him. Whether or not Samuel plays, the Pats will be the number three fantasy defense this year and come close to being considered the best by year’s end.

Stephen Gostkowski was a rookie last year and had the tough assignment of filling New England legend Adam Vinatieri’s shoes for the Pats. He handled the pressure in respectful fashion (20-26 FG attempts) and should have an easier go now that he’s entering his second year in the league. He only made one attempt longer than 50 yards last year so he won’t get you the kind of points some of the other available kickers will be able to. I wouldn’t use a draft pick on him, but keep an eye on him during the year because he is consistent.