With New England having nothing to play for, how long will we see the team's stars Sunday?
The New England Patriots have locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, meaning their game against the Buffalo Bills Sunday doesn't mean much for them. For the Bills, their Week 16 loss means Sunday is meaningless for them as well, though from the opposite side -- they won't make the playoffs, and just want a victory to lock down a winning record on the season.
The Bills enter Sunday healthy, with no fantasy-relevant players at risk for missing the game. The Patriots, meanwhile, have already ruled running back Jonas Gray out for the game. Quarterback Tom Brady, running backs LeGarrette Blount and Shane Vereen and wide receivers Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell are all listed on the week's injury report, and with the team having the playoff slot locked up, there's not much reason to push any of them -- reports already indicate they might only play part of the game.
Buffalo will travel to New England for the game, scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Let's take a look at the fantasy names we're thinking about for the game:
BILLS
Start 'em: There might not be a lot of upside for Fred Jackson , but he seems safe enough for at least a handful of points that he looks like a decent RB2. ... Dan Carpenter has been one of the league's top fantasy kickers all year. ... The Bills' defense is strong as is, and could get New England's B-team Sunday.
Start 'em?: It's been up and down for Kyle Orton for a while now; normally you'd avoid him against the Patriots, but if you wager New England will sit a lot of big names on defense then Orton could feast. High-risk, high-reward. ... You'd expect Sammy Watkins to draw Darrelle Revis if New England were going all-out, but without that level of competition Watkins could get some chances.
Sit 'em: Twice in the last three games, and three times in five, Scott Chandler has had a productive game. Outside of that, though, he's struggled, and it's pretty risky to play him.
PATRIOTS
Start 'em: Whatever, it's not like there's another kicker for New England to go to. You're using Stephen Gostkowski .
Start 'em?: With Jonas Gray out and the team's other running backs possibly being rested for the playoffs, Brandon Bolden is interesting, if extremely risky. ... Even if he only plays part of the game, Rob Gronkowski is a decent shot to find the end zone, which is more than you can say for a lot of tight ends. ... Danny Amendola and Tim Wright at least could see increased touches in this game. If you're trolling deep, maybe look there, though zeroes are definitely among the possible outcomes. ... The Patriots' defense would be a must-start if we knew they were going all-out in this game.
Sit 'em: Because the team has little to play for, it's hard to recommend much of anyone from the offense as a good fantasy option Sunday. That includes Tom Brady, Shane Vereen, LeGarrette Blount, Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell, all of whom probably ought to be benched in fantasy.
SUMMARY
Start in every league: Fred Jackson, Dan Carpenter, Buffalo defense, Stephen Gostkowski
Start if you're desperate: Kyle Orton, Sammy Watkins, Brandon Bolden, Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, Tim Wright, New England defense
Bench: Scott Chandler, Tom Brady, Shane Vereen, LeGarrette Blount, Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://www.sbnation.com/2014/12/28/7452011/fantasy-football-sit-start-advice-week-17-bills-vs-patriots-brandon-bolden-rob-gronkowski
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