Dion Lewis Injury Update & Fantasy Prediction for Week 8

(Getty)

(Getty)

Usually “game-time decision” is about the worst possible phrase for fantasy owners. But this might be even worse: A game-time decision on a short week for someone who plays for the notoriously tight-lipped Bill Belichick.

That’s the scenario for Dion Lewis, who enters Thursday night’s contest against the Miami Dolphins with the dreaded questionable tag and this non-update update from Belichick:

Fortunately, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport passed along some encouraging news:

Nevertheless, Lewis, who is dealing with an abdomen injury, didn’t play last week, and even though he has been limited in practices this week, there has been very little clarity on the situation. Even with Rapoport’s report, fantasy owners should wait until inactives are announced about 90 minutes before kickoff (8:25 p.m. ET) before making their final decision. We’ll be sure to keep you updated when more is known.


UPDATE: Thursday, 7:03 p.m. ET

Lewis is officially ACTIVE:


Of course, even if the dynamic 25-year-old suits up, starting him or not remains a difficult call for fantasy owners. He’s electric with the ball in his hands, but his workload on a weekly basis is a complete unknown thanks to the presence of LaGarrette Blount. As Blount is more suited for early-down and short-yardage work, and Lewis is better on passing downs, usage often comes down to game flow.

With the Patriots favored by eight points against the Dolphins, one would expect Blount to dominate the carries as they nurse a lead. However, since their coaching change, the Dolphins have been both efficient on offense and stifling against the ground game. If those trends hold, the Pats will turn to the air and Lewis would absolutely benefit. When the Pats were locked in a close game against a good run defense last week vs. the Jets, James White–who was in Lewis’ role–out-snapped Blount, 43-8.

If he plays, the matchup is right for Lewis to be an RB2 in PPR leagues, while he’s more of a flex in standard leagues.

Prediction: 25 rushing yards, 6 receptions, 60 receiving yards