Fantasy Forecast: Week 8

QB Tom Brady

Brady has been a solid performer in terms of fantasy points the past few weeks, but he hasn’t really gone on a soul-crushing scoring binge since the Buffalo game. I think that trend could continue this week with several elements of the passing game nursing injuries. I think Brady puts up around 300 yards and two scores, but projecting anything more would be overly optimistic. With that said, his three matchups after the bye are tasty, so if you don't currently own him, next week might be a good time to try to buy low.

RBs Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead

This game sets up nicely for Ridley, but Vereen’s stellar play last week clouds the issue a bit. If you have a free roster spot, go add Vereen ASAP. I still expect Ridley to get at least 15 touches, 80 yards and a score, but it’s best to keep a close eye on the distribution of carries. Don’t be surprised to see Vereen sneak double-digit touches away from Ridley and end up with north of 50 yards. Vereen’s skill as a receiver also dings Woodhead’s value a bit, so I wouldn’t expect a ton of reps for him.

WRs Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd

Both players were limited in practice this week, but it appears as if they both will be on the field on Sunday. I’d count on Welker for his usual 6-7 catches and 100 yards. Without Antonio Cromartie tailing him this week, I expect Lloyd to bounce back in a big way and haul in 6 balls for 90 and a score as well.

TE Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez

Hernandez has been ruled out for this week, which opens up the door for a big game out of Gronk. Expect him to haul in a score to go along with 80+ yards.

New England Defense/Special Teams

I hit the nail on the head predicting a TD for this unit last week, and I’m going to roll the dice again and predict another solid point total. Bradford has been sacked 21 times already this year and is averaging about 3 sacks absorbed per game. While he’s done a better job with ball security this year, it has been an issue for him in the past. I’m expecting the Rams to put up around 16 points with 4 sacks allowed and 2 turnovers.