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The Week 4 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots is all about the underdog trying to beat the odds in the last game before Tom Brady returns. We've got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills jumped out to a 17-0 lead against the Arizona Cardinals last week and didn’t look back. Running back LeSean McCoy was a big reason for that, accounting for 14 of those early points. Two touchdowns and a season-high 110 rushing yards to go along with three catches for 6 yards are an excellent effort in Week 3. New England managed to keep all of the Houston Texans in check last week, including running back Lamar Miller. It may be harder to do that to McCoy. The odds of Buffalo’s offense being as bad as Houston’s was last week are slim. McCoy will get plenty of opportunities to run should the Bills jump out to an early lead at Gillette Stadium.
If they don’t, quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s numbers might prove worthy of a fantasy start in Week 4. After throwing for just under 300 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2, Taylor was limited to 119 passing yards and no scores in Week 3. His stat line was largely due to the circumstances of the game and having an early lead. This week may be a bit more challenging, even with Brady finishing off a suspension on the sidelines. Taylor could be forced to throw the ball more in New England, which would likely yield more fantasy points.
New England Patriots
Brady’s long-awaited return is still a week away, but fantasy owners and Patriots fans alike have to be happy that tight end Rob Gronkowski has returned. His season debut in Week 3 saw Gronk targeted just once. He should see more action this week against the Bills. Fantasy owners should keep in mind only one team has given up fewer points to tight ends than Buffalo. Still, Gronkowski is the best in the game and a solid performance against a division rival will boost his confidence just in time for Brady’s return.
Perhaps the best option on New England’s roster for this week is running back LeGarrette Blount. His two-score effort last week gives him four rushing touchdowns on the season and back-to-back 100-yard games. He’ll be handed the ball a lot in Week 4. Teammate James White doesn’t appear to be a threat to that. This may be the last week Blount sees his number of carries in the mid-twenties for a while. Savvy fantasy owners should take advantage. The Patriots may present a more pass-heavy offense once Brady is back.