X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Disaster Recovery Week 3: Tom vs Time

Tom Brady is 41 years old, and the Patriots are nearing panic mode. How worried should fantasy owners be?

Welcome to Disaster Recovery, where each week I'll examine why your studs played like duds.

This isn't a place to find out why you should have benched a player for somebody on your bench. Disaster Recovery is to examine the guys who you didn't think twice about benching, and deciding if you should be panicking at all about their value moving forward.

This season we'll be covering one dud per week. There will be two major qualifiers: the player must have performed well below expectations without an injury, and the player must be considered a must-start in most formats.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Rankings System

I'll also be implementing a new panic meter ranking system this year. It goes as follows:

  1. This week was a fluke. Don't panic!
  2. I still have full faith in this player, but there are some red flags. Be cautiously optimistic moving forward.
  3. There are genuine concerns here. Consider selling on name value, but don't panic too much unless you receive an offer you can't refuse.
  4. This player will not be the player you expected him to be. Regardless, his value may be too low to trade, and his ceiling is going to be better than anything you can get in return. Panic, but hold tight.
  5. Absolutely abandon ship. We're not coming back from this.

For Week 3, the premise is simple: The Patriots are struggling, and any Patriot struggle should be centered around the legendary Tom Brady. Can he rebound?

 

Tom Brady and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Tom Brady's Week 3 stats: 14 for 26, 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Brady also ran for two yards and was sacked twice.

Meet Them At The Crossroads

The Patriots may be at a bit of a crossroads. The defending AFC Champions followed up a loss to a tough Jacksonville team with another loss to a not-so-tough Detroit team. The game highlighted the weakness in the New England offense: a lack of playmakers.

In the past, the team seemingly through out a ton of players that would contribute out of nowhere. Currently, the only offensive contributors have been Rob Gronkowski and James White. Rookie Sony Michel piled up 14 carries on Sunday, but only piled up 50 yards. Chris Hogan has been a complete disappointment so far this season. Phillip Dorsett, the team's leading wide receiver at (gulp) 110 yards, didn't even receive a target.

The Patriots will meet the undefeated Miami Dolphins next week.

Tom vs Time

It isn't just the loss to the Lions that has us concerned about the Patriots. The Patriots have stumbled out of the gate for sure. But this feels different.

There's seemingly been a quiet rebellion amongst the NFL community calling for the fall of New England this year. Tom Brady is 41 years old. Father time remains undefeated. Tom isn't showing major signs of regression, but it doesn't seem like this version of Tom Brady will win with no-names around him like he has in the past. Tom Brady at age 41 needs help. Plain and simple. We know Gronk is going to Gronk, but there is a ton of uncertainty surrounding the rest of the group.

Island of Misfit Toys

As it currently stands, here are the Patriots that have been active so far this season that may be able to have an impact this season.

  • James White - At this point, we know what White is. He's Brady's pass-catching back right out of the backfield. He'll be a factor this season. But he won't be much more than that. The Patriots need a certain rookie to be able to produce...
  • Sony Michel - Michel was the biggest question mark/x-factor combination on the offense until a few days ago. Belichick spent a rare first-round pick on a skill player when he chose Michel at the end of the first this year. The rookie has gotten more and more work as the season as gone on, and will continue to gain more work with the loss of Rex Burkhead. Will Michel get the opportunity to be a breakout star on this team? It's certainly trending that way. Is he capable of being a breakout star? That's the question we'll be waiting for an answer on.
  • Phillip Dorsett - Dorsett seemed poised for a breakout season after a stellar Week 1, but a target-less Week 3 and recent acquisitions have spelled out the writing on the wall for Dorsett. He won't be the breakout player Tom Brady needs.
  • Chris Hogan - Hogan has been a disaster this year. Over three games, he has seven receptions for 84 yards, with a two-touchdown Week 2 being the saving grace of his season so far. Hogan is another conversation for another day when it comes to fantasy. I'm not ready to completely write him off, but his value is deteriorating, and he isn't the answer Tom Brady is looking for.

That's it. Luckily, Bill Belichick may have a few aces up his sleeve..

The Cavalry is Coming

Two receivers will be entering the fold soon, but both have major question marks.

The Forgotten Son

When Julian Edelman returns in Week 5, he'll be returning to the field for the first time since doing this.

Don't pencil Edelman in as a sure thing just because he has a great history with Tom Brady. Edelman is 32 years old, entering his 10th NFL season, and coming off a complete ACL tear that caused him to miss the entire 2017 season. Are we really banking on a 32 year old coming off an ACL injury to save the Patriots season? Adrian Peterson was the outlier, not the norm.

Still, it's hard not to imagine Edelman injecting some life back into this offense, even if he's only 50% of the player he was in 2016. Sans Gronk, nobody on the roster has a connection with Brady like Edelman has, and even Gronk is up for debate. Edelman has had at least 90 receptions and 970 yards in his last three healthy seasons with Brady. He'll be out to prove something when he returns. I'm not sure he's the answer, but he surely won't hurt the offense. Brady will welcome the veteran with open arms.

Destiny has arrived. Or should I say... Flash has. 

The Patriots acquired the infamous Josh Gordon right before Week 3. The man known as Flash. Ahhh....

Here are Josh Gordon's per game averages in every game he's played since 2013: 3.9 receptions, 59.5 yards, .2 touchdowns in 11 total games.

I don't need to explain the upside with Gordon, but I will anyways. Josh Gordon's four game stretch in 2013 of 774 yards and five touchdowns was one for the ages. He's only 27 years old, and really only has about three seasons of NFL wear and tear on him. He's an immensely talented player who just hasn't been able to get his life back on track for a variety of reasons.

Just when things were looking up for Gordon, he injures his hamstring in a promotional shoot and Cleveland ships him out of town to New England. Gordon couldn't have found a better situation, but the Patriots are as cut-throat of an organization as they come. Gordon needs to keep himself in check to have success in New England.

If you believe he can keep himself in-line, you have to ask yourself another question. What Josh Gordon will we be getting? The Josh Gordon who's averaging 60 yards a game, or the peak level Josh Gordon that nearly averaged 120 yards a game in a season.

Honestly, both would help the Patriots. I'm betting we get a Josh Gordon somewhere in the middle. And with Tom Brady throwing him the ball, things could get special. Here's an important fact you need to remember about Gordon's career year: his quarterbacks were Jason Campbell, Brandon Weeden, and Brian Hoyer. He's never played with a quarterback that has a quarter of the skill Brady has in the pocket.

Did I just turn this into a Josh Gordon column? I have no regrets. Let's get to Brady's panic meter.

Panic Meter: 3/5

If you can sell Tom Brady for a high price, I'd pull the trigger. Quarterbacks tend to be overvalued and Brady isn't looking like he'll be in that top, top class of fantasy quarterbacks. The question marks are piling up and time isn't on his side.

But for those who don't want to get rid of Brady, know this: it's Tom freaking Brady were talking about. I can't imagine the one touchdown games piling up. He may not be as crisp as he once was and the Patriots may find themselves struggling on offense at time, but I'm betting on Tom Brady before I'm betting against him.

Edelman and Gordon should help. Michel can only get better. Maybe Hogan will actually get back to form. Don't go full panic mode on Brady yet, but sell if somebody is willing to buy at a high price.

What To Watch For

Josh Gordon. Obviously.

Also, look for the Patriots to get their running game moving a bit more with Sony Michel, and look for how Brady's chemistry is with everyone not named Gronkowski and White. The Patriots desperately need to have a good game against an undefeated Miami Dolphins team. The clock is ticking on Tommy Terrific.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jake Cronenworth3 hours ago

Targeting Earlier Return
Liam Hendriks3 hours ago

Set To Return On Saturday
Jackson Merrill3 hours ago

Not Expected To Return Next Week
Martín Pérez3 hours ago

Martin Perez Will Undergo MRI On Saturday
Casey Schmitt3 hours ago

Expected To Hit Injured List
Brock Stewart3 hours ago

Expected To Return On Sunday
Luke Keaschall4 hours ago

Busy In MLB Debut
Jose Fleury4 hours ago

Continues Strong Start On Friday
AJ Smith-Shawver4 hours ago

Strikes Out Eight In Defeat
Marcelo Mayer4 hours ago

Tallies Seven RBI On Friday
Zyhir Hope4 hours ago

Hits Two Home Runs On Friday
Andrew Painter5 hours ago

Sharp In Second Rehab Outing
Tyler Anderson10 hours ago

Keeps Hot Streak Rolling Friday
Logan Webb10 hours ago

Fans 12 In Tough-Luck Loss
Carlos Rodón10 hours ago

Carlos Rodon Goes Six Scoreless To Snap Personal Losing Streak
Andrew Abbott10 hours ago

Dominates Orioles On Friday
Yoshinobu Yamamoto10 hours ago

Tosses Another Gem
Cam Smith10 hours ago

Hits Two Taters On Friday
Trevor Story10 hours ago

Mashes Pair Of Three-Run Homers
Zack Wheeler13 hours ago

Records 13 Strikeouts
LaMonte Wade Jr.14 hours ago

Out On Friday
Ja Morant14 hours ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams14 hours ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis14 hours ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.15 hours ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Taurean Prince15 hours ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup Saturday
NFL15 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Waived With Non-Football Injury
Isaiah Stewart15 hours ago

To Return For Game 1
Ausar Thompson15 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Rui Hachimura15 hours ago

On Track To Play Saturday
Austin Reaves15 hours ago

Ready To Go For Game 1
NFL15 hours ago

Bills Release Armani Rogers, Branson Deen
Luka Dončić15 hours ago

Luka Doncic Removed From Injury Report
LeBron James15 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Game 1
Ben Sheppard15 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Game 1
NFL16 hours ago

Kolton Miller Absent From Raiders' Voluntary Offseason Program
Kevin Durant16 hours ago

To Houston Already Losing Steam
Lauri Markkanen16 hours ago

Wants To Stay With The Jazz
NFL16 hours ago

Ross Blacklock Let Go By New York
Bennedict Mathurin16 hours ago

Expected To Play In Game 1 Saturday
Pascal Siakam16 hours ago

Available For Playoff Opener
Tyrese Haliburton16 hours ago

Returning From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Cade Cunningham16 hours ago

Available For Game 1 Against Knicks
Josh Hart17 hours ago

Back In Knicks Lineup Saturday
OG Anunoby17 hours ago

Good To Go For Game 1
Jalen Brunson17 hours ago

Available For Saturday's Game 1
NFL17 hours ago

Raiders Considering Drafting A Quarterback
Irv Smith17 hours ago

Sticking With Texans
Ryan Lindgren18 hours ago

Set To Return Saturday
NFL18 hours ago

Texans Expected To Draft Wide Receivers
Greg Dortch18 hours ago

Returning To Cardinals
Josh Manson18 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Mark Andrews18 hours ago

Could Be Traded Soon
Ondrej Palat18 hours ago

To Return For Start Of Playoffs
David Savard18 hours ago

Will Retire After Playoffs
NFL18 hours ago

Raiders, Falcons Could Have Interest In Jalen Ramsey
Robert Thomas18 hours ago

Good To Go Saturday
Matthew Tkachuk18 hours ago

Expected To Return For Game 1
18 hours ago

Raiders Are High On Ashton Jeanty
Jason Robertson19 hours ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Rome Odunze19 hours ago

To Hopefully Get More Involved
NFL19 hours ago

Dolphins Could Draft A Quarterback
James Cook19 hours ago

Could Stay Away From Voluntary Workouts
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Wins First Rocket Richard Trophy
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Bags Third Art Ross Trophy
Bryan Rust1 day ago

Scores Twice In Season-Ending Win
Igor Shesterkin1 day ago

Shuts Out Lightning With 27 Saves
Dylan Cozens1 day ago

Picks Up Three Points In Regular-Season Finale
Matvei Michkov1 day ago

Caps Off Rookie Campaign With Three-Point Effort
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Makes Early Exit For Precautionary Reasons
Jake Tonges1 day ago

Signs Exclusive-Rights Tender
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Broncos To Focus On RB Position In Next Week's Draft
Drew Lock1 day ago

Sam Howell, Drew Lock Expected To Compete For Backup Job
New York Giants1 day ago

Giants Leaning Toward Taking Best Player Available At No. 3
New Orleans Saints1 day ago

Ryan Ramczyk Announces His Retirement
Buffalo Bills1 day ago

Tre'Davious White Reunites With Buffalo
Aaron Rodgers2 days ago

Willing To Play For $10 Million A Year
Jakob Chychrun2 days ago

Returns Against Penguins
Rasmus Andersson2 days ago

Out Against Kings
Jonathan Huberdeau2 days ago

Sits Out Regular-Season Finale
Ryan Pulock2 days ago

Out On Thursday
Jake Sanderson2 days ago

Back In Action Thursday
Thomas Chabot2 days ago

To Be Rested Against Hurricanes
Claude Giroux2 days ago

Active On Thursday
Lucas Glover3 days ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Daniel Berger3 days ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka3 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
Justin Thomas3 days ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele3 days ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Maverick McNealy3 days ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry3 days ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
Will Zalatoris3 days ago

Eyes A Bounce-Back At RBC Heritage
Gary Woodland3 days ago

Could Add Some Surprise At Hilton Head
Sam Burns3 days ago

Hoping For Better Times At RBC Heritage
Sahith Theegala3 days ago

Still Trying To Put It All Together
Aaron Rai3 days ago

Might Be That Guy For Hilton Head
Robert MacIntyre3 days ago

All Or Nothing At RBC Heritage
Tom Hoge3 days ago

Still Playing Solid Heading To Hilton Head
Nick Dunlap3 days ago

Continues To Have Rough Stretch
Keegan Bradley3 days ago

Looks To Move On From Masters Performance
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay3 days ago

A Strong Play At RBC Heritage
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Targets Another Strong RBC Heritage Showing
Collin Morikawa3 days ago

Eyeing Victory At RBC Heritage
Max Homa3 days ago

Breaks Through At The Masters
Alexander Volkanovski4 days ago

Reclaims Featherweight Title
Diego Lopes4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 314
Paddy Pimblett4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Suffers TKO Loss
MMA4 days ago

Patricio Freire Gets Dominated In His UFC Debut
Yair Rodriguez4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bryce Mitchell4 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 314
Jean Silva4 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 314
Dominick Reyes4 days ago

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Austin Dillon5 days ago

Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Finishes In The Top 10 After Falling Back Midway At Bristol
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Earns His First Top-Five Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Chase Briscoe5 days ago

Quietly Scores First Career Top-Five Finish At Bristol
William Byron5 days ago

Denny Hamlin Cuts Into William Byron's Points Lead
William Byron5 days ago

Makes Best Of His Mediocre Qualifying Run With Sixth-Place Finish
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Despite Engine Failure, Alex Bowman's Improved Speed Looks Promising
NASCAR5 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Enters Playoff Picture With Surprise Bristol Top-10 Finish
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF