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Fantasy Football Week 3 Start or Sit: Shane Vereen

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By @petahrahgas

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Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Well, Week 2 of fantasy football was good for absolutely no one. A.J. Green got injured. Robert Griffin III enjoyed the bench so much he injured himself to sit back down. Jamaal Charles gave his high ankle the old sprain; though I guess that can’t stop the great Charles. Unless your team consisted of Delanie Walker, the ageless Darren Sproles and the New England Patriots’ defense, you were in for a rough week. Obviously there were other stand-out players last week, though it seems every one of them avoided my starting lineup like the plague.

But screw Week 2, we’ve moved on. It’s on to any running back against the Oakland Raiders’ defense. Yes, that is my must-start: any running back playing against the worst run defense in the NFL. I just wrote an article about how the Patriots need to establish their run game Sunday if they want to win (and by win I mean absolutely destroy the Raiders).

While starting Stevan Ridley to me is a must, starting Shane Vereen is a bit different. Over the last two weeks, we have yet to really see how Vereen will be used in this offense. Against the Miami Dolphins, Vereen was good for 12 points, but only produced four points against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2. Vereen won’t be the Patriots’ feature back and even if Ridley has his normal bout of fumblitis, look for Vereen and Brandon Bolden to split touches. Vereen tends to do most of his damage in the receiving game, though going up against the athletic linebackers of Oakland won’t help.

If you’re figuring out what to do with Vereen, I’d suggest putting him in the flex spot. He could bring you a decent return, but if he only puts up five, you’re not out of luck. If you’re looking for him to be your RB2, then I’d suggest looking elsewhere; say for instance Joique Bell or Jonathan Stewart (who both are available in most leagues).

Peter Rogers is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @petahrahgas, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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