Stevan Ridley Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley and WR Danny Amendola are both expected to play Sunday against the Saints, according to the Boston Herald.  Both are listed as questionable on the Week 6 injury report.  Ridley missed Week 5 with a thigh bruise.  Amendola returned to play in that game for the 1st time since Week 1.  Ridley's return figures to hit LeGarrette Blount the hardest.  Brandon Bolden should remain the team's top receiving back.

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley (knee/thigh) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints.  He was limited in practice all week.  We're expecting Ridley to play, but the late kickoff makes it a tough situation for fantasy owners.  If Ridley does suit up, he'd be a risk/reward RB2 against a Saints defense allowing a league-high 5.3 yards per carry.

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley (knee/thigh) returned to a limited practice on Wednesday.  Ridley missed Sunday’s loss against Cincinnati and watched fill-in LeGarrette Blount lose a fumble.  If active, consider Ridley the favorite for the majority of New England’s backfield action.  That still might not mean much if HC Bill Belichick continues to use a rotation.  Facing an improved Saints run D this week, none of the Pats RBs will escape flex territory. 

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley (knee/thigh) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bengals.  Nice of the Pats not to leave us with a questionable/game-time decision tag.  LeGarrette Blount will step in as New England's lead back but should only be considered a low-end RB2 against a stout Cincy run defense.  Brandon Bolden (knee) is listed as questionable but is expected to play and serve as the pass-catching/change-of-pace back.  He's a RB3/flex option with more appeal in PPR leagues.

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley (thigh) was not on the field for the start of Friday's practice.  If he's held out again, he'd be unlikely to play against the Bengals this weekend.  Fantasy owners should start making other plans.  If Ridley can't go, LeGarrette Blount would serve as New England's early-down pounder, with Brandon Bolden playing on passing downs.

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley (thigh) missed his 2nd straight practice on Thursday.  His injury is believed to be minor, but Ridley is far from guaranteed to play against the Bengals this weekend.  We'll have another update on his status tomorrow.  If Ridley can't go, LeGarrette Blount would serve as New England's lead back, with Brandon Bolden also picking up extra work.

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley was held out of Wednesday's practice with a thigh bruise.  He received treatment, but insider Nick Underhill reports that the injury is "not considered serious."  We'll have another update on Ridley tomorrow, but it sounds like fantasy owners can expect him to be available for Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Patriots HC Bill Belichick gave RB Stevan Ridley a vote of confidence on Wednesday.  "Stevan’s a good player," Belichick said. "I thought he ran hard [in Week 1]. We have a long way to go. We’re going to need him. I’m sure he’ll contribute a lot for us this year.” The Patriots don't have much of a choice but to go back to Ridley after losing RB Shane Vereen to a wrist injury.  LeGarrette Blount now sits behind Ridley on the depth chart.  Brandon Bolden (knee) and Leon Washington (thigh) are both banged-up.  Barring another fumble, Ridley is a good bet for 20+ carries on Thursday night.  Click here to see where he sits in our Week 2 RB Rankings.

The Patriots have placed RB Shane Vereen (wrist) on IR-designated-for-return.  He won't be eligible to practice for 6 weeks and can't return to game action for 8.  New England has a Week 10 bye, so the earliest Vereen could return is Week 11.  It's disappointing news after the original report had him out only "a few weeks."  Vereen is now worth hanging on to only in deep fantasy leagues.  It's unclear what kind of role he'll return to.  Meanwhile, RB Stevan Ridley remains locked in as New England's lead back.  We'll see how the situation shakes out behind him with LeGarrette Blount, Brandon Bolden and Leon Washington.

NFL insider Jay Glazer reports that Patriots RB Shane Vereen broke a "small bone" in his wrist in his 1st play in Sunday's win over the Bills.  Vereen played the whole game with the injury but experienced numbness afterward.  He's undergoing surgery today and is expected to miss "a few weeks," per Glazer.  It's a tough break after Vereen busted out for 159 total yards in the opener.  He should return to a significant role once he's healthy, though, so Vereen is worth hanging on to in fantasy leagues.  Meanwhile, it's excellent luck for RB Stevan Ridley, who was benched after losing a 2nd-quarter fumble on Sunday.  New England now figures to go back to Ridley as the lead runner, starting Thursday night against the Jets.  LeGarrette Blount, Brandon Bolden and Leon Washington sit behind Ridley on the depth chart.

Patriots OC Josh McDaniels said Monday that no decisions have been made regarding the team's backfield for Week 2.  RB Stevan Ridley was benched in the opener after losing a 2nd-quarter fumble.  “Stevan’s got to do a better job of holding on to the football,” McDaniels said. “He knows that. And we’ll work hard with him on that.”  New England consistently went back to Ridley last year, despite his ball-security issues.  We'd expect to see him in the game plan for Thursday night's tilt against the Jets.  But RB Shane Vereen certainly earned a bigger role with his 159 total yards in Week 1.  Both guys are shaping up as RB2s for Thursday night's game.

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley lost a fumble in the 2nd quarter of Sunday's game against the Bills.  He didn't see the field the rest of the day. Ridley, of course, fumbled 4 times last year and was benched a couple of times.  It's also worth noting that the Pats went back to him as the lead back the following week each time.  We'll see if that's the case again on Thursday night against the Jets.  RB Shane Vereen's Week 1 performance will make it easier for New England to shy away from Ridley.  Vereen went for 101 yards on 14 carries, plus another 58 yards on 7 catches.  Vereen will be the much safer Week 2 fantasy play.

Pats RB Stevan Ridley is looking to bulk up heading into his 3rd NFL season. “It’s a little bit heavier,” Ridley said about his weight. “I know that, and I’m aware of it every day in practice with me running and stuff like that. It’s all about being conditioned as well. You can’t have all that weight on and be sucking air two or three plays in. That’s why I say you have to see how well you can carry the weight and if you can go day to day being successful with that.” He played last year in the 220-pound range, so he’s already a load to bring down. We’ll see if the extra weight impacts his quickness and conditioning. Following a season with 1,263 yards and 12 TDs, don’t expect Ridley to significantly surpass those numbers in 2013.

The Patriots have signed RT Sebastian Vollmer to a 4-year deal.  Although he's dealt with back problems since entering the league -- and had his knee scoped this offseason -- Vollmer has been a big part of New England's high-powered offense.  He's finished inside the top 23 in Pro Football Focus' OT rankings in each of the past 4 seasons, including a 13th-place finish this past year.  The Patriots will bring back all 5 starting offensive linemen in 2013.  That continuity is excellent news for the fantasy outlooks of the team's skill-position players.

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley has put the ball on the turf in each of the past 2 games.  But former Pats RB Kevin Faulk doesn't believe that will impact his workload going forward.  “The guy has been very productive," Faulk said. "No one is perfect. When you’re scouting a guy, you kind of know the types of things you’re going to have to deal with if he makes the team. If you check out Stevan’s running style, he’s an instinctive runner that does a lot of twisting and turning. Knowing the Patriots scouting department, they knew that. But I do think (the recent fumbling) has been addressed. Turnovers will kill you, and it showed Sunday night. Trust me, it’s a big deal to Belichick, but I’m not thinking (Ridley’s case) is as big as everyone’s making it out to be, because they knew what they were getting when they drafted him.”  It's worth noting that Ridley fumbled in 2 straight contests earlier this season but continued to see 15+ carries per game.  With a juicy matchup against the Jaguars this weekend, Ridley remains a must-start in fantasy.

Patriots RB Stevan Ridley has been money for fantasy owners this year.  But he cost a lot of teams in Week 15.  Ridley was bottled up by a tough 49ers defense, managing just 23 yards on 9 carries.  After he lost a fumble early in the 3rd quarter, he touched the ball just once more the rest of the night.  Ridley was on the field for just 19 of 96 offensive snaps, while RB Danny Woodhead played 76 and finished with 17 touches.  Ridley's fumble almost certainly had something to do with his limited playing time.  But New England also went with Woodhead because they were in catch-up mode all night.  If you survived with Ridley this week, he's worth sticking with against the Jaguars this Sunday.  Jacksonville ranks 30th in fantasy points allowed to RBs, and New England should be playing with the lead in that one.