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Dion Lewis, Mohamed Sanu and More Fantasy Reaction from Falcons vs. Patriots
October 23, 2017
The New England Patriots coasted past the Atlanta Falcons 23-7 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night in a rematch of Super Bowl 51 as Tom Brady led the defending champions with 249 yards and a pair of scores through the air.
But at this point, fantasy owners know what they're going to get from the five-time champion.
What wasn't as certain entering Sunday's prime-time tilt was the Patriots' backfield distribution, which ultimately favored the resurgent Dion Lewis and left bruiser Mike Gillislee in the dust.
There was also plenty to analyze from Atlanta's point of view, as the Falcons offense once again failed to connect on the deep shot plays that helped propel the team to an NFC title a year ago.
Dion Lewis Powers the Patriots Backfield
A week after he logged double-digit carries (11) for the first time this season, Lewis continued to trend in a positive direction, as he tallied 13 carries for a season-high 76 yards as the Patriots' early-down workhorse.
Gillislee, meanwhile, managed eight carries for 31 yards and has now gone five straight games without a touchdown after registering four scores over the first two weeks of the regular season.
Rotoworld's Evan Silva noted the two backs are headed in opposite directions with the second half of the season approaching, while the Boston Globe's Ben Volin pointed to Lewis' usage late in the fourth quarter as a positive sign for his season-long stock:
Elsewhere, NFL.com's Matt Harmon was blunt in his assessment of Gillislee's skill set:
Not to be overlooked was pass-catching specialist James White, whose role remained intact.
According to Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke, White finished second among Patriots running backs with 23 snaps, as he totaled four carries for 19 yards and five catches for 28 yards and a touchdown:
Jahnke also observed improved push up front helped fuel a rejuvenated rushing attack:
Now the proud owner of strong back-to-back efforts, Lewis can be viewed as a low-end RB2 with a hint of upside, while Gillislee is looking more and more like a touchdown-dependent RB4.
White, however, should continue to be viewed as a legitimate flex candidate, especially in PPR formats.
Mohamed Sanu Solid in Return from Hamstring Injury
Mohamed Sanu missed the Falcons' Week 6 loss to the Miami Dolphins because of a nagging hamstring issue, but he didn't look limited at all Sunday night.
Although he didn't lead the Falcons in receiving—that honor belonged to Julio Jones (nine catches, 99 yards, TD)—Sanu racked up six receptions for 65 yards on a season-high 10 targets.
Sanu was also on the field for all but six offensive snaps, per Jahnke:
The 28-year-old is still more of a safety blanket than anything else, but considering he's topped five catches in three of his five appearances this season, there's reason to believe he could be a borderline flex play in PPR leagues with some increased volume.
Matt Ryan's Struggles Continue Against Porous Patriots Secondary
The NFL's reigning MVP is officially bordering on liability status in fantasy circles after he completed 23-of-33 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown Sunday night.
Now six games into the 2017 season, Ryan has one multi-touchdown game (Week 3) and has finished with a yards-per-attempt average of 9.0 or greater twice a season after he led the league with a mark of 9.3.
Furthermore, Ryan hasn't topped 250 yards passing in his past three games and has managed the same number of touchdowns (three) as interceptions during that disappointing stretch.
NFL.com's Michael Fabiano noted the absence of former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has likely contributed to Ryan's woes:
In Week 8, Ryan and the Falcons will draw the New York Jets—who surrendered 304 yards and four touchdowns to the Miami Dolphins passing tandem of Jay Cutler and Matt Moore in Sunday's 31-28 loss in South Florida.