New England Patriots - Fantasy News

New England Patriots AFC Championship Game DFS Sleepers

by Adam Markowitz

1/16/18

NFL

New England Patriots

Brandon Bolden

Tom Brady has led the New England Patriots to the AFC Championship Game 12 times in his 16-year career. He's going to go down as the GOAT of all GOATs, but he wouldn't have been able to do this on his own this year.

With Brady slinging the ball all over the field, the Patriots have a few sleepers who could come up with big days at the office in the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Stephen Gostkowski (7.37 Dober Fantasy Points Per Game)
Projected Fantasy Points vs. Jaguars: 9.5

The Jaguars only allowed 23 field goals this season and have only allowed one field goal in two playoff games this year, but that doesn't mean Stephen Gostkowski is going to be rendered useless in this game as he was last week against Tennessee.

The likelihood that the Patriots put up five touchdown drives against no field goals is slim against a team with a defense as strong as Jacksonville's, and that could make Gostkowski a huge beneficiary.

It's tough for kickers to get to double-digits in Dober Fantasy Points, but Gostkowski did so six times in seven games in the middle of the season, including a whopping 20-point effort against Oakland on November 19. We've got a good feeling that Gostkowski is going to be called upon for at least three field goals in this game for the Patriots, and that should get him past his Projected Fantasy Points total.

Danny Amendola (7.29 Dober Fantasy Points Per Game)
Projected Fantasy Points vs. Jaguars: 7.0

Just because Danny Amendola was New England's leading receiver last week against Tennessee doesn't necessarily mean anything this week. The Patriots have a history of changing up their game plan for every game, and men who are key cogs one week might not even find themselves on the field the next week.

But Chris Hogan is definitely not 100 percent healthy, and the Jaguars are going to do what they can to take Rob Gronkowski away from Tom Brady. Someone has to catch the ball on these short passes that Brady loves to throw, and it makes more sense for Amendola to be playing that role than anyone else on the New England roster.

Amendola scored 17.7 Dober Fantasy Points last week against Tennessee, and even half of that this week against Jacksonville will be enough to secure a win on Dober Play Cards.

Brandon Bolden (0.49 Dober Fantasy Points Per Game)
Projected Fantasy Points vs. Jaguars: 0.5

We really have nothing to lose with Brandon Bolden. If Rex Burkhead or Mike Gillislee are healthy, there's a good chance Bolden doesn't suit this week against Jacksonville. But if he does and this game turns into a bit of a blowout as was the case last week against Tennessee, Bolden will surely find himself on the field long enough to catch one pass or to run for six yards.

Bolden now has 16.50 Dober Fantasy Points in his last three games combined, and we have to think he's going to serve a role if Bill Belichick decides to suit him up on Sunday afternoon.