Fantasy Football: Should owners worry about Tom Brady suspension?
When it comes to his fantasy football value, should owners worry about New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady? Is his four-game suspension something to consider not taking a chance on him?
After a very long time of controversy over deflated footballs, quarterback Tom Brady will be serving a four-game suspension handed down by the NFL for his role in DeflateGate. He’ll miss Weeks 1-4 against the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will take his place and do his best to hold the fort down until Brady returns.
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Head coach Bill Belichick already silenced any and all rumors about Garoppolo continuing to be the Patriots’ starting quarterback once Brady is eligible to return. Come Week 5 on the road against the Cleveland Browns, Brady will once again be under center starting.
Should fantasy owners be worried about Brady not only unable to start until Week 5 but possibly needing some time to get back into a rhythm? The answer is “absolutely not”, considering everything Brady has done so far in his prolific career and what he’s about to do when he eventually returns.
Make no mistake about it, Brady will be back with a vengeance. A burning desire to once again come out the gates red hot and play lights out football. It might be hard for fantasy owners to consider finding alternate quarterbacks in the meantime, but Brady is easily worth waiting for.
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Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game as this suspension is merely an obstacle in his never-ending quest towards having a legendary career.
One of which that sees him enshrined forever in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
When it comes to his fantasy value, Brady is as consistent and potent as they come.
Last year, Brady totaled 4,770 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
Of course with missing four games in 2016, Brady might not have such big stats but expect to see him as a touchdown-making machine.
Fantasy owners should take a chance on Brady and stash him on the bench until he returns. Keep in mind that his first game back is against the Browns, so it could be a match-up that sees Brady unleash a barrage of touchdowns. Considering how bad the Browns have historically been and will most likely be the same in 2016, this could be the game that fantasy owners cherish all season long.
Brady is easily a QB1 heading into the fantasy season and just like anything in life, great things are worth waiting for. Stock up early on wide receivers and running backs in the earlier rounds until it’s time to draft Brady if he’s still available. For the most part, other owners might be wary to sacrifice an early-round draft pick on him but if he’s available in the third or even fourth round, it’s an easy decision to make.
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Overall, Brady will continue being the man to beat not only in his division of the AFC East but also of the NFL in general. The Patriots are a well-oiled machine and with upgrades across the team, especially with tight end Martellus Bennett now wearing their uniform, expect Brady to return ready to make some serious noise.