Let me preface my section with this: Everything I’m about to say and argue for is with the hope Stevan Ridley somehow fixes his fumbling problems, even just slightly. Like, maybe, two fumbles. You think you can handle that, Stevan?

Two years removed from a top five rushing season, Stevan Ridley enters Patriots camp as the lead rushing back…again. We all remember Ridley’s breakout 2012 campaign that saw him achieve a total Rushing NEP of 11.25, good for fifth among eligible backs, and a Success Rate of 49.66%, which ranked second. We also remember his downtrodden 2013 year.

But just how bad was Ridley’s 2013 season? From our numbers, it actually wasn’t as miserable as one might think. Ridley had a -0.07 Rushing NEP per rush, which may sound frightening, but that was good for 24th among eligible backs last year (low-end RB2 territory). He also had the fourth-highest Success Rate of 43.63%.

With LeGarrette Blount gone to Pittsburgh, and Brandon Bolden barely clinging to a roster spot, there are 558 offensive snaps, or 46.5% of all offensive snaps by a Patriot running back, up for grabs. Those snaps will more than likely be split between Ridley and Shane Vereen, in Ridley’s favor. With an average draft position as the 29th running back, Ridley is a very low-risk, high-reward player. He’s got the perfect opportunity to replicate his 2012 season, and allow many fantasy football owners to cash in on their mid-round lottery ticket.

By Sean Wirth