QB Tom Brady
Brady has been on fire the past four weeks with 11 TDs and 0 picks, but I'd temper expectations on his yardage output this week. The Jets have been solid against the pass, and I think it's likely that the Pats will focus on the running game against one of the league's worst front 7s. Expect somewhere around 250 and 2 scores. Anything more than that is gravy.
WRs Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Julian Edelman
Edelman burst onto the scene last week with a huge game, and I think he'll see a few more chances the next several weeks while some other guys get healthy. Look for him to rack up around 50-60 yards receiving, which could outpace Lloyd (who was disappointing against the Jets earlier this year). Welker should be a solid bet for 100 and a score again. The Jets will try to bracket him, but the Pats should move him around enough to get him free for several grabs.
RBs Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead, Shane Vereen
Ridley had a poor game against the Jets earlier this year, but I expect him to rectify that performance with a solid 80 yards and a score. I wouldn't shy away from using Vereen as a flex, as I think both he and Woodhead will be able to rack up 50 yards and threaten to score against a vulnerable Jets run defense. The Pats will lean on the running game this week, so any of these guys could go off.
TEs Daniel Fells, Visanthe Shiancoe, Aaron Hernandez
What happened to this depth chart???? Hernandez probably won't play on a short week, and he should be limited if he does take the field. I'm mildly bullish on the prospects of Shiancoe to haul in a score, and Fells could put up 30-40 yards between the 20s. If you are truly desperate at TE, you could probably do worse. But until a pecking order is established, I'd steer clear of this situation altogether.
New England Defense/Special Teams
This unit wildly exceeded my expectations last week, and they'll be playing against a team that is worse than the Colts at nearly every offensive position. I think a fair projection is 22 points allowed, 2 sacks and 2 turnovers. Those numbers will play in most leagues.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!