1. LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis Both Have Value
Generally, backfields ripe with ambiguity are no-fly zones for both season-long and daily fantasy. Spreading the wealth limits both the floor and upside of each player involved, and there are likely better options available elsewhere. The scenario changes a bit, though, when Tom Brady is the quarterback, and he's helping give both LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis fantasy viability.
For the second straight game, Blount lost work to Lewis, reducing Blount to 20 of 37 running-back carries. That would seem to be a bad thing. However, 14 of those carries (yes, that's the actual number) on Saturday came in the red zone. Blount has 42.55% of the team's red zone opportunities over the past three weeks, the sixth-highest mark in the league. Given how many touchdown drives and red-zone trips a guy like Brady can generate, that's nothing to overlook.
That said, we shouldn't write off Lewis simply because he's not getting all of the looks in close. He also had four carries inside the 20 on Saturday, and he now has 34 total carries the past two games. Prior to Week 15, his career high for carries in a game was just 15, and he has exceeded that in consecutive affairs. With the talent we know Lewis has, it's okay to get a bit excited about that.
The New England Patriots will face the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. The Patriots are 10-point favorites, and the Dolphins entered Week 16 as numberFire's 31st-ranked rush defense. With the volume these two guys have gotten the past two weeks, both Lewis and Blount should be on your radar for daily fantasy as the weekend approaches.
2. Kenny Stills Has a Role in Miami
Speaking of that same game, with a 10-point spread in favor of the Patriots, we may need some investigation into the Dolphins' passing game. Such a look would likely lead to some interest in Kenny Stills.
Stills had eight of 29 targeted throws for the Dolphins Saturday against the Buffalo Bills, besting DeVante Parker by one for the team lead. He also had the team's only red zone target, his third game in the past five with at least one look inside the 20. We associate Stills more with long-bomb touchdowns, so this new-found role in tight is abundantly interesting.
Overall, Stills has 25.35% of the team's targets the past three games. This has just been a bit masked because they've tried to hide the passing game with Matt Moore under center. They likely won't be able to do that on Sunday against the Patriots, making Stills a guy we can target in tournaments without it being a complete throwaway prayer move.