FREE GILLISLEE
Patriots back is in line for rebound game
PART of being a good fantasy team owner is knowing when to swim against the tide. You want to catch the big wave early, before all the other fantasy surfers see the swell. You don’t want to have to f ight the crowd of Barneys clamoring for the cresting player who just created the latest tidal shift. You want to be on your board already, ready to bail before the swell breaks.
The tide is working against Patriots running back Mike Gillislee. The Madman warned before the season that those expecting Gillislee to simply take over the LeGarrette Blount role and production were going to be disappointed.
After four Gillislee touchdowns over the first two weeks, we were worried our forecast might be wrong. But over the past four week, his best fantasy performance in points-per-reception leagues is an embarrassing 5.2. And last week, he was benched for a significant stretch after a first-quarter fumble — allowing Dion Lewis to snag a short touchdown run that otherwise would have gone to Gillislee.
There is a lot of dislike after this current stretch. But we sense a change in the tides is afoot. Gillislee wasn’t benched for the entire game last week — he returned but was minimally productive — so we’re not too concerned about his fumble-exile extending into this week. Plus, we don’t consider Lewis a significant threat to Gillislee’s role.
We anticipate a high-scoring affair in the Super Bowl rematch with the Falcons this week. Vegas agrees, with the over/under waffling in the 55-561/ range all week — a full touchdown higher than any other game. We want to use players in games that will yield a lot of points. Also, the Falcons’ defense has been generous to opposing runners — ranking 24th in fantasy points allowed.
So as you look at this week’s approaching fantasy waves, bypass Jonathan Stewart and Isaiah Crowell. We even suggest letting Doug Martin and Javorius Allen float on by. In standard leagues, we’ll ride Gillislee this week instead of Chris Thompson or Duke Johnson Jr. He also makes a nice contrarian play in DFS — particularly at DraftKings, where his ownership will be lower in a fullpoint PPR format.
Are we certain we won’t crash in rough surf ? No, but certainty isn’ t our Point Break, er, breaking point. Don’t be afraid. Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true. If you want the ultimate, you’ve got to be willing to pay the ultimate price.
Take the Gill is lee plunge. Cowabunga!