LeGarrette Blount, Dion Lewis Post-Week 8 Fantasy Advice

The New England Patriots dominated their Week 8 game against the Miami Dolphins on the way to a 36-7, and running back Dion Lewis was a major reason why.

The dynamic pass-catcher almost tallied 100 receiving yards to go along with his touchdown Thursday, and he helped make up for a mediocre showing from LeGarrette Blount. Here is a look at the tallies for the New England running backs as well as some fantasy reactions for each: 

Carries	Rushing Yards	Catches	Receiving Yards	Targets	Total Touchdowns	Fantasy Points
17	72	1	2	1	0	7.4

Such is life for fantasy owners who are relying on a Patriots running back.

In one game, someone such as Jonas Gray, Stevan Ridley or Shane Vereen can look like a superstar (see 2014), and in the next matchup, he disappears. It appears as though Blount is the 2015 version of the inconsistent fantasy performer in the New England backfield, which is disappointing for fantasy owners, considering that he carried the rushing attack down the stretch and in the postseason last year.

Many had high expectations for Blount for this full season alongside Tom Brady, especially after he notched 148 rushing yards and three scores in last year's AFC Championship Game. He was suspended for the first week of the 2015 season and worked his way back into the lineup in Week 2. From Weeks 3 through 6, he averaged 81.67 yards per game and scored four times.

However, he tallied minus-three rushing yards in Week 7 against the stingy New York Jets and didn’t look much better until some garbage-time yardage against the Dolphins on Thursday.

The Patriots are always going to be a pass-first team with Brady under center and Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Lewis catching passes, so it is difficult to consistently trust Blount moving forward. It’s not as though he will rack up receiving yards, either, with a mere 36 catches in his entire career. 

Until he posts impressive numbers on a weekly basis, it is better to target New England’s playmakers who will be involved in the aerial game with Brady.

Carries	Rushing Yards	Catches	Receiving Yards	Targets	Total Touchdowns	Fantasy Points
5	19	6	93	9	1	17.2

One of those players is Lewis, and he looked the part of a fantasy stud Thursday. 

The fourth-year back missed New England’s victory over the Jets, but he bounced back in a big way against the Dolphins. His fantasy value comes from his ability to catch passes out of the backfield and make defenders miss in the open field, which is what he did on this touchdown, per the NFL:

He is averaging 58.17 receiving yards per game after Thursday’s contest, which should help fantasy owners overlook the lack of consistent carries.

Lewis has been a journeyman throughout his short career, so there isn’t much of a track record in place for fantasy owners to fall back on when making lineup decisions. Still, he seems to have found a home with the defending champions, and the fact that Brady was averaging more than 41 throws per game before Thursday's matchup is an indication of how valuable New England's pass-catchers will be throughout the season.

The Patriots air it out every week, and Lewis is arguably Brady’s third-most dangerous target alongside Gronkowski and Edelman.

Lewis is worth flex consideration based on his role in this pass-happy offense alone. As long as he continues to get open and make defenders miss, Brady will find him.