The New England Patriots struggled for most of Monday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, but their superior talent ultimately prevailed in a 25-6 victory. For most of the contest, New England was contained by Buffalo’s rejuvenated defense, which played with far more emotion and discipline than it did during a Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts the week before.
Many of New England’s big-name performers failed to register much in terms of fantasy football scoring, but the Patriots did have some players who turned in solid outputs overall.
RB James White
New England’s leader in targets (74) and receptions (55) on the year led the team in both categories Monday night, as he saw 13 passes come his way on the evening. He managed to catch 10 passes for 79 yards. While he was not nearly as successful as a rusher, managing only 15 yards on 8 carries, he did score on a 1-yard touchdown plunge in the fourth quarter. White scored 20 fantasy points on the game, his second consecutive 20-plus point fantasy outing and his third such outing this season.
Patriots D/ST
Three sacks, one fumble recovery, and one interception returned for a touchdown are all big fantasy football scoring plays. Not allowing a touchdown is also outstanding. When the team defense in your lineup does all of these things in one game, you usually have an angry opponent. New England’s defense and special teams racked up 20 points this week, which was the top score at the position for Week 8. Fantasy defenses are averaging 14.9 points per week against Buffalo. Yikes.
WR Julian Edelman
Tom Brady’s favorite wide receiver had a big day, catching 9 passes for 104 yards. After missing the first month of the season due to a PED suspension, Edelman has caught 25 passes for 251 yards and 2 touchdowns in the four games since he returned to the lineup. While he was unable to score a touchdown yesterday, his overall numbers were still good for 16.2 fantasy points.