Week 8 vs Miami
Dion Lewis missed Week 7 with an abdomen injury and is marked questionable for this week's affair versus Miami. Playing 66 percent of the snaps on the season, Lewis figures to be involved in the offense when he returns to action. If he plays in Week 8, we consider him as a solid to fringe RB2, depending on your scoring and league size.
Week 7 vs New York Jets
Dion Lewis put up his first fantasy disappointment on the season in Week 6, with 4-21 on the ground and 3-18 in the air. It's not clear if this was a game plan decision by HC Bill Belichick (known for shuffling RBs around), or if Lewis was more limited by his abdomen injury than anticipated. Regardless, fellow RB LaGarrette Blount ran well enough against the Colts defense (16-93-1) that the Patriots were fine without Lewis being as active as usual. All that said, even in a down week Lewis saw 57 percent of the snaps, which should encourage owners.
Blount will have much less running room against the Jets this weekend, as they are the 3rd stingiest to opposing RBs in standard, and 2nd stingiest in PPR. The Patriots figure to rely heavily on Lewis in this affair, though with Blount back in the mix, owners do need to be wary of the Belichick headaches. We have Lewis as a RB2 in standard, and fringe RB1 in PPR this weekend.
Week 6 at Indianapolis
In Week Five Dion Lewis put up a 6-34 line on the ground, adding 8-59-1 in the passing game, good for RB13 on the week. Lewis' fantasy finishes on the season in standard leagues are as: RB17, RB2, RB13, and RB13. His worst finish in PPR is as RB15 and he has been a top 10 RB twice.
Those concerned with the involvement of LaGarrette Blount may do well to note that even in a quickly lopsided Week Three tilt, Lewis notched 13 touches (for 67 combined yards and a TD) before being most of the starting skill position players visited the bench. Lewis has shown he can offer a reasonable floor to owners, even if this weekend turns into a "Blount game."
In a projected high scoring affair versus the Colts, we have Lewis as a solid RB1 this weekend, in standard and PPR.
Injury note: Dion Lewis appeared on the injury report midweek with an abdomen injury. If he practices Friday and the weekend reports are positive, owners should have confidence in Lewis, who has become an every week fantasy starter. It is a situation, though, worth monitoring.
Week 5 at Dallas
After logging 81 percent of the snaps in the first two weeks, Dion Lewis played a meaningful share of the early snaps in Week Three, prior to the game becoming a heavily lopsided affair. Bill Bellichick backfields are infamously tough to project, but with the overall efficiency and success of the NEP offense these first three weeks, they may do well to continue relying heavily on Dion Lewis. Even as fellow RB LaGarrette Blount gets more involved, we expect Lewis to remain an important part of most game plans. With some ebb and flow to the situation, we still rank Lewis as a fringe RB1 is solid RB2 in our ROS ranks. In a plus matchup this weekend, we project Lewis for solid RB1 numbers in standard leagues, and as a top five RB in PPR leagues.
Week 5 vs Jacksonville
Dion Lewis has really impressed these first two weeks, playing over 80 percent of the snaps while averaging 129 total yards and 0.5 TDs. Currently fantasy's RB5 in standard leagues, his four receptions in Week 1 and six in Week 2 only add to his PPR value.
We'd continue to caution owners about HC Bill Belichick's history of shuffling around RBs, depending on game plans, flow or other unpredictable factors. At some point fellow RB LaGarrette Blount figures to get more involved, as well. However, for the time being, it may be time to start nervously trusting Lewis in your lineups. This week, we have him as a middle to low-end RB2 in standard leagues, and as a low-end RB1 in PPR leagues.
Week 2 at Buffalo
Dion Lewis was electrifying in Week 1, putting up a a 15-69 line, and adding 4-51 in the passing game. His 75-percent snap share may be a positive indicator on his outlook, and he should be owned in most formats at this point.
As a couple notes of caution, it is possible Lewis' Week 1 snap share may be as much an indictment on fellow RBs James White, Brandon Bolden and Travaris Cadet, as it is positive about Lewis. We also never know about future game plans, when it comes the Patriots backfield. Maybe Lewis just fit that one game plan better, and other RBs will be shuffled in more as the season rolls on. When it comes to HC Bill Bellichick's usage of RBs, we can never be too confident. This week, the return of LaGarrette Blount from his one-week suspension re-muddies the seemingly clear Week 1 picture. So while we are encouraged with Lewis' Week 1 performance, we are also nervous about trusting him in lineups in Week 2.
We project Lewis as a fringe RB3 to middling RB4, depending on your league size and scoring. However, our projections reflect a mean expectation, and not the total range of possible outcomes. In an unclear backfield facing a tough matchup, our ranking may indicate to owners they should look elsewhere in Week 2. However, in larger leagues or if you're stacked at other positions, Lewis does have the chance of repeating his stellar Week 1.
Week 1 vs Pittsburgh
Dion Lewis has received some positive press of late, allegedly winning the (former Shane Vereen) passing down role. Nonetheless, we project Lewis as a low-end RB4 option in 12-team leagues. Until we see this backfield in action, we suggest rolling with other options.
