Fantasy Sports Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickup: Brandon Bolden

Fresh Videos

By @RyanCTerrill

brandon boldon

Getty Images

The New England Patriots and RB Stevan Ridley‘s worst fears came true on Monday, when an MRI confirmed that the starting RB had indeed suffered a torn ACL and MCL against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Ridley was the leading rusher for the Patriots and also on pace for over a thousand yards on the season heading into Week 6.

With Ridley done for the year it looks like the team will turn to RB Shane Vereen and third-year pro Brandon Bolden to be their main ground attack. Head coach Bill Belichick might even throw rookie RB James White into the mix as well.

Bolden, who might have the best dreads in the NFL, is an interesting fantasy football pickup heading into Week 7’s matchup against his division foes, the New York Jets (Thursday night). After Ridley had exited, the Patriots turned to Bolden to take over most of the rushing duties, but his day, along with Vereen’s, proved to be very ineffective against a tough Bills run defense.

Out of all three backs, Bolden fits the role of Ridley’s the best and his three years of experience in Belichick’s system bodes well for his potential. I expect to see Vereen receive a few more carries than usual on Thursday, but Bolden will be the one who receives the majority of work on first down, second down and goal line situations because of his ability to effectively run between the tackles.

Bolden is a nice waiver wire addition for your team this week, but unless you are in dire need of a RB, I don’t believe it is a good idea to rush him into your starting lineup. The Patriots’ game plan is always unpredictable and they are facing a Jets run defense that has had some early-season success against stopping RBs this year.

If Bolden can carve out a role in the Patriots’ offense, then he will certainly be of some starting fantasy recognition, but for now, keep him on the bench and see how the Patriots use him on Thursday night. However, if you are in desperate need of a starter, Bolden does offer some optimism.

His first career start came in 2013 against the Jets, where he finished with eight carries for 36 yards and a touchdown. The way the Patriots have been playing lately, this game could easily get out of hand early, offering some garbage time carries for Bolden, too. Currently available in 98 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues, Bolden could be a nice addition in the future for your fantasy team.

Ryan Terrill is a Fantasy Sports Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @RyanCTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on