Tom Brady
Oakland’s pass defense has taken a step back since losing Nnamdi Asomugha in the offseason. Brady figures to have his typical 350 yards and 3+ TDs. He’s arguably the best QB play of the week.
Wes Welker/Deion Branch/Chad Ochocinco
Welker is a lock to start every week in just about any format. Anything short of 100+ and a score would be a disappointment. Branch put up an uncharacteristic 0-fer last week, but I’d expect him to bounce back with a 5-60-1 statline this week as the defense rolls coverage to Welker’s side. Ochocinco blew a golden opportunity last week and might have a hard time earning much playing time going forward. Another poor performance this week would make him a very worthy option to hit the waiver wire in most leagues.
Benjarvus Green-Ellis/Danny Woodhead/Stevan Ridley
The running back puzzle got a little more difficult to solve last week as Ridley broke into the box scores and appeared to be the most dynamic option in the backfield. At this point, I would only start BJGE in TD-heavy leagues with a possible flex play in standard leagues, and I might leave Woodhead on the bench entirely until the waters are a bit clearer. If Ridley is still floating around in your free agent pool, he’s certainly worth a speculative add.
Rob Gronkowski
Gronk had a monster game last week, and he figures to factor heavily into this week’s gameplan as well. Expect him to put up north of 80 yards and a score again this week.
Stephen Gostkowski
Gostkowski is among the league’s highest-scoring kickers, and that shouldn’t change this week. Five extra points and 1-2 FGs is likely.
Patriots Defense/Special Teams
Most experts pegged the New England D as a borderline starting option at the beginning of the season, but they have been woeful through three weeks. I wouldn’t mind using them against this week since the Pats could put a ton of pressure on Oakland’s offense if the Raider defense can’t contain Brady and Co. They could rack up around 3 sacks and a turnover with 20 points scored.
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