Shane Vereen's, Jonas Gray's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 7

The New England Patriots' penchant for a running-back-by-committee approach has often been a source of frustration for fantasy football owners. After Stevan Ridley went down with a serious knee injury in Week 6, New England has opted to deploy Shane Vereen and Jonas Gray.

Vereen has had a pretty clearly defined role as a pass-catching specialist, and that revealed itself in a big way at the beginning of Thursday's Week 7 AFC East showdown with the New York Jets.

Player	CAR	YDS	REC	YDS	TD	Fantasy Points
Shane Vereen	11	43	5	71	2 (receiving)	23
Jonas Gray	3	12	0	0	0	1

A blown coverage and ample time for quarterback Tom Brady allowed Vereen, split out as a wide receiver, to get behind the Jets' suspect secondary to haul in a diving, 49-yard touchdown reception. That huge play alone made Vereen a worthwhile fantasy play for the week.

Before the game, Jets star Sheldon Richardson was asked what success on defense is.

"What does it look like?" said Richardson, per the New York Daily News' Seth Walder. "A shutout."

The first drive extinguished any hope the Jets had of keeping New England off the scoreboard, largely thanks to Vereen's unique skills.

Brady looked to Vereen again in the second quarter, this time on a three-yard TD pass. The Patriots official Twitter account outlined the significance of Vereen's exceptional production:

SportsNation weighed in on the situation:

For the time being, it's rather safe to assume Vereen will be the feature back, and thanks to his receiving prowess, he is a strong RB2 trending toward a No. 1 option.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided information on Gray before the game:

Little is known about Gray, a third-year player out of Notre Dame who had zero career NFL carries before Week 7. However, it is worth noting that he did see action ahead of roster incumbent Brandon Bolden and fourth-round rookie James White, who was inactive Thursday.

Unless fantasy owners are desperate at the RB or flex spot, Gray isn't a reliable option until he's proven or is in line to get more carries. With the way Vereen played in a 27-25 win, though, New England will have a hard time keeping him off the field too often.