Fantasy Fallout: Dion Lewis is back, but his playing time is up in the air

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Here are the fantasy implications of the New England Patriots activating RB Dion Lewis from the PUP list:

Just in time for a Week 10 Super Bowl XLIX rematch with the Seattle Seahawks, passing-down back Lewis has been activated from the Patriots' physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list; he hasn't featured for the team since suffering a knee injury in Week 9 of last season.

In 2015, Lewis' first NFL action since 2012, he became an unexpected contributor to the Patriots' potent offense. In seven games prior to his injury, he caught 36 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing 49 times for 234 yards and another two scores. Despite his lengthy absence, he's still on many fantasy players' radars; per FantasyPros, his ownership sits at 46 percent and will surely rise now that a return to the field is imminent.

Since QB Tom Brady returned from suspension in Week 5, New England's offense has kicked into high gear, scoring 17 touchdowns while winning four straight games. Brady has thrown 12 touchdown passes, with nine going to tight ends or running backs.

Lewis' replacement, James White, has been the recipient of three of those scores, while catching 16 passes for 156 yards in Brady's four games. Coach Bill Belichick has said that "it would take quite a bit" for Lewis to immediately overtake White's role, but that could be nothing more than an attempt to inspire some internal competition between the two players.

If he's still available, Lewis makes for a necessary addition in PPR leagues as well as for running back-starved owners in standard-scoring formats. How much playing time he'll see in the early going is uncertain, and given Lewis' checkered injury history, it would be a surprise if he's overworked by a 7-1 Patriots team that seems assured of another deep playoff run.

Still, based on his body of work from last season and the strong offense he's entering into, Lewis possesses a significant amount of upside. It's just a question of how much of the ball he'll see. White shouldn't be immediately dumped in any fantasy leagues; perhaps Belichick will be true to his word and keep Lewis in a part-time role. A wait-and-see approach is best for the owners of both players.

While he's far too risky a fantasy option for Sunday's encounter with the Seahawks, Week 11's meeting with the 49ers could be the game where Lewis makes his mark. San Francisco is allowing 193 rushing yards per contest, nearly 50 more than 31st-ranked Cleveland.

Lewis may not be a traditional between-the-tackles runner, but if there's a time for him to see a significant amount of work in what looks like a glorified preseason game for the Patriots, this is it.

Lewis shouldn't be a threat to the workload of LeGarrette Blount, who's caught a mere six passes. Blount has rushed for 609 yards and nine touchdowns, failing to score in just one game all season. While his 3.8 yards per carry average is far from spectacular, Blount's frequent goal-line work makes him the safest play in the New England backfield.