The New England Patriots are hoping the knee injury to Dion Lewis is not serious and the team is waiting for MRI results to see if his ACL is damaged after leaving the Week 9 game against the Redskins. If Lewis is out, LeGarrette Blount will likely start in Week 10 for Tom Brady and this comes as Brandon LaFell could be a fantasy sleeper option moving forward.
UPDATE: Lewis reportedly has a torn ACL and is out for the season. Check here for more.
Lewis left the game against Washington in the third quarter after going down and clutching his knee after being tackled by Chris Baker. According to ESPN.com, Lewis was ruled out of the game and did not return. Adam Schefter reports that Lewis is undergoing an MRI and that on Sunday night there was "no swelling" in his knee, which is a good sign for the ACL. Schefter added that the ACL "appears loose" and the MRI will determine the extent of the damage for the injury.
Lewis has been one of the surprise players in the NFL to start the season and he has been a key player on offense for the Patriots. Lewis leads the team in touches on offense and he has been the most productive back overall in total yards for the team. Lewis was injured after a catch and run play and if he is out for an extended period of time, it will be a tough loss for the Patriots. Lewis was able to walk off the field on his own, but he had to go into the locker room and did not return.
Lewis had over 200 yards rushing this season coming into the game and he also made an impact catching the ball with 32 catches for 349 yards. Lewis has four total touchdowns this season and when he left the game against the Redskins he had 14 yards rushing on four carries. The Patriots also have Brandon Bolden and James White behind Blount and they could be options for passing downs if Lewis is out, as he has been the top receiver option among the RBs this season.
The Patriots are now 8-0 this season and while they likely will be able to overcome the injury to Lewis, he has been a key player for the team. Lewis has quickness and has shown an ability to make defensive players miss tackles and he has done that far better than any other running back for the Patriots. The team is hoping that if Lewis is injured, it will not keep him out for the season.
Brandon LaFell returned for the Patriots against the Jets and he was very rusty in that game, putting up multiple drops and catching just two balls. LaFell has been a bit slow to get his legs since coming back, but he had his best game against the Redskins with five catches for 102 yards and fantasy owners should look at him as a high upside option moving forward. LaFell had a career season last year with 74 catches for 953 yards and seven touchdowns and he could be the consistent number two option for Tom Brady moving forward.