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Steven Ridley of the New England Patriots could be a draft sleeper

by Tim Moczula       August 13th, 2012 2:27 PM
  • Steven-Ridley-of-the-New-England-Patriots-could-be-a-draft-sleeper
  • New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley carries the ball against the Oakland Raiders at the O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

    • Stevan Ridley of the New England Patriots could prove to be a sleeper for fantasy teams this season. The 23-year-old had a limited amount of carries last year but should see an increased role this season.

    After the Patriots let BenJarvus Green-Ellis go to Cincinnati, lost Kevin Faulk to retirement, and cut Joseph Addai, Ridley remains the top candidate for the starting running back position. Last year, he had just 87 carries but proved he could be a productive part of New England’s offense. He ran for 441 yards, scored a touchdown, and boasted an average of 5.1 yards per carry.

    Green-Ellis was the Patriots’ go-to man for the past two years and finished last season with 181 carries for 667 yards. Ridley should absorb most of those touches and finish with around 200 for the season. With Tom Brady as quarterback and 4 Pro-Bowl (3 All-Pro) caliber targets for him to chose from, defenses are unable to crowd the box. As a result, Ridley will have plenty of room to work with, and his speed and athleticism should take care of the rest.

    The Patriots clearly have a dangerous air attack, but many don’t realize how much their running backs thrive. Despite his mediocre overall yardage, Green-Ellis scored 11 touchdowns last year. The team has been among the top in the league in rushing touchdowns for the past few seasons and finished third last year with 18. Coach Bill Belichick is known to use his ground attack during goal line situations, and because Ridley is younger more athletic than Green-Ellis, he should easily score double-digit touchdowns.

    In his first preseason game, the rookie showed promise as he played with the first team offense and had 8 carries for 40 yards. His current average draft position is round ten, so teams looking for a cheap option for their second or third back might find a lot of success with Ridley.

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