The Patriots have long been known as Tom Brady's team, but in 2013 they finished with a higher ranking running the ball (9th) than passing it (10th). With 6 rushing touchdowns and no passing scores in their first playoff game, they've scored as many touchdowns on the ground this season (25) as through the air.
In 13 different games during the season, New England had a running back score double-digit fantasy points, using a system awarding 1 point for every 10 rushing/receiving yards and 6 points for all touchdowns. Six times, a back reached 15 points or more.
It makes sense for fantasy teams to try to tap into that potent running game, but it's been sadly unpredictable exactly which running back would be the team's best in a given week. Four different running backs were the team's leading producers on at least three occasions during the season. (Stevan Ridley did it 6 times, LeGarrette Blount 4, and Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden 3 each.) LeGarrette Blount, with his 4 TDs against Indianapolis, is the lead dog right now, but at Denver this week? We'll see.
| TOP NEW ENGLAND RUNNING BACKS, Weeks 1-17 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Top RB | Yds (Tot) | TDs | FF Pts |
| 1 | Vereen | 159 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | Ridley | 40 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Bolden | 100 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | Blount | 64 | 1 | 12 |
| 5 | Bolden | 64 | 0 | 6 |
| 6 | Ridley | 110 | 2 | 23 |
| 7 | Ridley | 53 | 1 | 11 |
| 8 | Ridley | 79 | 1 | 13 |
| 9 | Ridley | 124 | 2 | 24 |
| 11 | Ridley | 48 | 1 | 10 |
| 12 | Bolden | 69 | 1 | 12 |
| 13 | Vereen | 75 | 1 | 13 |
| 14 | Vereen | 162 | 1 | 22 |
| 15 | Blount | 53 | 0 | 5 |
| 16 | Blount | 76 | 2 | 19 |
| 17 | Blount | 189 | 2 | 30 |
--Andy Richardson