Fantasy Fallout: Blount, White see stocks rise with Dion Lewis out

Here are the fantasy repercussions following the news that Patriots RB Dion Lewis will start the season on the PUP list. This will cost him the first six games of the regular season at the minimum.

Lewis tore his ACL on November 8, 2015. Although he is undergoing a clean-up surgery, there is still a chance he could return this season. For upcoming fantasy football drafts, it's best to leave Lewis undrafted unless your league carries an IR spot. In that case, he can be taken in the later rounds.

In the meantime, LeGarrette Blount makes for a sneaky mid-round pick. He currently has an ADP of 112 and is being taken as the 39th running back off the board, according to FantasyPros. This will surely be on the rise.

With Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the season, expect head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to revert to a power-run offense, heavily featuring Blount. They have the dual TEs to pull it off and still be diverse.

In Weeks 2, 3 and 4, the Patriots will take on a weak Miami Dolphins defense, a potentially J.J. Watt-less Texans defense and a Marcell Dareus-less Bills defense. After Week 4, Blount could have immense trade value.

Replacing Lewis as New England's primary pass-catching running back will be James White. White is currently being selected as the 73rd running back with the 188th overall pick - essentially undrafted - in PPR leagues. This will also rapidly rise. Leave him alone in standard leagues, but consider him as an RB3 or FLEX option in PPR leagues.

White finished last season with 50 receptions for 410 yards. Thirty-three of those catches and 358 of those yards came in the final eight games of the regular season once Lewis was no longer in the picture. He only carried the ball 22 times for 56 yards, however.

Although Tom Brady is still Tom Brady, here are his stats from games 1-8 before Lewis went down, and from games 9-16 when the team was without Lewis:

Obviously more goes into these numbers than simply Lewis' presence on the field. The Pats dealt with other injuries on offense, and most QBs have better first half stats thanks to warmer weather. Regardless, Lewis still had a major impact on this offense.

In a nutshell, target Blount from rounds 5-7 in standard leagues, but don't hesitate to trade him after a strong start. The offense could revert back to a more pass-happy system once Brady returns, which is where White will likely take off.