The New England Patriots now sit alone with the best record in the AFC at 7-2 after defeating the Denver Broncos, 43-21, in Week 9. Bill Belichick's squad improved its winning streak to five games with another dominating performance over one of the best teams in the NFL.
Since getting blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, the Patriots continue to look like a completely revitalized team. They're averaging 40.2 points during their winning streak. After another impressive offensive performance, let's look at how New England fared in fantasy.
Tom Brady: He completed 33-of-53 passes for 333 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in Week 9. Brady now has four-plus touchdowns in three of his last four games. Fantasy owners were ready to abandon ship after Week 4, but if you held on or bought low on Brady, you're in good shape today. The Patriots are off in Week 10, but Brady should continue to provide high-end QB1 value when he returns for a prime-time matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.
Shane Vereen and Jonas Gray: It was the Vereen show in the Patriots backfield for most of Week 9. Gray got the start, but after two series he was replaced. Vereen caught five passes for 38 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 29 yards on 11 carries. He was targeted 10 times, the same number as Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. Gray led the team with 33 yards rushing on 12 carries, but he did the most of his damage while the Patriots were trying to kill the clock. These two backs will continue to frustrate owners as Belichick changes his gameplan from week-to-week. However, Vereen's versatility makes him a more attractive option every game.
Julian Edelman: After catching just one pass in Week 8, Edelman bounced back with nine receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown. Edelman only saw four targets in his last game, but that's more of an outlier since he's averaging 8.8 targets each week. He had a second touchdown reception overturned at one point, as his hands didn't quite get under the ball, allowing it to hit the ground. Still, it was a great showing for Edelman. He'll be a reliable PPR option in what could be a shootout against the Colts in Week 10.
Brandon LaFell: With 13 targets in Week 9, LaFell led the Patriots in that category and finished with double-digit targets for the second straight game. He only caught six of those passes for 53 yards and a touchdown, adding a couple drops to his stat line. LaFell was consistently used as a deep threat in the Patriots offense, though, so some of his targets were out of reach. He did drop a couple easy passes, but if his workload remains stable, LaFell has WR2 upside.
Rob Gronkowski: Just nine catches for 105 yards and another touchdown. Ho hum. Gronk has been dominant over the past two games. He appears to be 100 percent, and opponents don't have any clue how to slow him down. His signature play of the night came in the red zone as brought a high pass in with one hand to get down to the Broncos 1-yard line. Brady hit Gronkowski in 1-on-1 coverage for a touchdown on the following play. He's the top tight end to own right now.