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The New England Patriots are dealing with injuries to two key offensive players—wide receiver A.J. Brown and running back Rhamondre Stevenson—as they prepare for their Week 10 matchup against the Detroit Lions in Munich, Germany.
Brown, in his first season with New England, has been hampered by injuries and has struggled to produce when on the field. After suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 1, he returned in Week 6 but was sidelined again by ankle and knee issues in Week 8, missing two more games. Stevenson, meanwhile, suffered a knee injury in Week 9 that was initially expected to keep him out for multiple games.
Both players practiced this week—Brown was limited in all three sessions, while Stevenson was limited in two—and both are listed as questionable. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, both are expected to play on Sunday. Fantasy managers should still confirm their status by checking the inactives list, which will be released around 8 a.m. ET, with kickoff set for 9:30 a.m. ET.
Fantasy Start-Sit Advice
For the first time in his career, Brown's starting status is debatable. In three games with the Patriots, he has yet to surpass 48 receiving yards and has just six catches for 53 yards over his last two contests. There's also concern he may not be at 100%. However, the matchup is too favorable to bench him: the Lions have the worst pass defense in the NFL and allow the 11th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers, per CBS Sports. If Brown doesn't produce this week, he may become bench fodder going forward. Verdict: Start
Stevenson's workload could be limited if he's not fully healthy, but no reports have suggested that as of now, so he's expected to be a full go. His fantasy production hasn't been great, but he still ranks as RB21 in fantasy points per game, according to Fantasy Pros, making him a weekly flex option in all formats. The Lions are stingy against the run, allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. However, this game could feature plenty of scoring opportunities, and Stevenson faces little competition for touches with TreVeyon Henderson on injured reserve. Volume alone justifies starting him in a tough matchup. Verdict: Start
Originally reported by yahoo.