I don’t blame any Fantasy player who avoids the backfield for the New England Patriots. They know how to win without a  traditional workhorse back, and the last back to rush for 1,000 or more yards for New England was Stevan Ridley in 2012.

But now that Tom Brady’s suspension is over, Fantasy Football players are asking, “Should I start LeGeratte Blount in Week 5?”

Blount was available as late as Round 14 in some of my MFL10 drafts, and it’s because the backfield for the New England Patriots is a headache to figure out.

But because he’s been productive thus far,  some Fantasy players might have forgotten that he may not have a consistent role moving forward.

It is true, though, he’s been effective with Tom Brady on the sidelines.

The Patriots failed to score in Week 4, so Blount only recorded 13 carries.

But can he repeat his average of 99 rushing yards and one rushing  touchdown per game like he averaged in Weeks 1-3 with Brady back?

In 12 games last season, Blount only averaged 13.5 carries per game and  58.6 rushing yards. He did score six rushing touchdowns, but he didn’t offer a ton of consistency.

I don’t think we’ll see Blount carry the ball 22-29 times like we did in Weeks 1-3. I think he finishes with 13-16 carries. He will get the goal-line work, but he won’t have a huge workload with Brady starting.

Now, Week 5 seems to be set up for the Patriots to score a ton of points. They were shut out in Week 4, the Browns are allowing  28.75 points per game, and Brady will start in Week 5 (in case you forgot).

Cleveland ranks 17^th in Fantasy points allowed to running backs this season, so Blount doesn’t have an easy matchup.

After Week 5, Blount will probably be on my bench for the teams I own him on. But I think this is still a favorable matchup, and Blount will be used to run out the clock if the Patriots jump out to a huge lead.

I’m starting LeGarrette Blount in Week 5 in both of the leagues I own him.

But I did just see he was limited in Wednesday’s practice with a hip issue, so much sure to keep an eye on that before locking him in your starting lineup.

My running back depth isn’t great for this first team.

For the second team, I no longer trust Golden Tate. I’m not going to drop him yet, but I’m certainly not going to start him. I also can’t trust Jamaal Charles, and I’m not ready to put Ryan Mathews back in the lineup. I was tempted to put Dennis Pitta in the other flex spot, but Blount is the better play here.

From this real-life example, hopefully you can see how whether or not you should start LeGarette Blount in Week 5 is based on the deepness of your bench. Blount would probably be on the bench if Charles, Mathews, and Tate were effective options.

Do you need help deciding if you should start Blount? Hit me up on Twitter or leave a comment.

Categories: 2016 Fantasy Football, 2016 Fantasy Football Running Backs, Fantasy Football

Tags: Fantasy Football Week 5 LeGarrette Blount, LeGarrettee Blount Fantasy, LeGarrettee Blount Week 5, Start LeGarrettee Blount Week 5, Week 5 Running Backs LeGarrettee Blount