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The staples of the New England Patriots continue to be quarterback Tom Brady and Coach Belichick.

With the impending suspension of Brady, added pressure is on the team to produce in the month of September.

Backup quarterback Jimmy Garrapulo is the face of attention amongst the chaos.

If he exceeds expectations the automatic assumption is a quarterback controversy.

After all many years ago Tom Brady supplanted veteran Drew Bledsoe with his own cementing performances filling in.

Yet, an area of value that continues to be overlooked with New England is their success at the running back position.

In recent years, backup running backs have thrived to catapult Patriots ATS value and fantasy waiver wire success.

Lets take a look at some strong contributions of impact since 2010.

Danny Woodhead–2010
Woodhead emerged as a solid option out of the backfield hauling in thirty-four catches and nearly 900 total yards. His value changed over Brady’s career as he became more of a take what you can get quarterback versus his prior mold of down the field passer.

Stevan Ridley—2011
Ridley was drafted as a third-round pick but the Patriots still had a 1,000 yard rusher in-line with BenJarvus Green-Ellis. As the year progressed Ridley became the main back and finished as the Patriots leading rusher in four of the final five games.

Brandon Bolden—2012
Ridley continued to be the feature back in 2012 but Bolden was the hot hand for one game against the Bills. He finished with 137 yards becoming the popular fantasy waiver wire add. Things did not work out on that move but it shows again how deep the Patriots can go at running back.

LeGarrette Blount—2013
After subpar seasons in 2011 and 2012, Blount stood out to become an impact back for the Patriots. He carried over a solid regular season to an even better post-season (4 TD’s, 172 yards) becoming a catalyst to the Patriots Super Bowl run.

Jonathan Gray—2014
Nobody can ever forget Jonathan Gray. He led the Patriots in rushing yards in three consecutive games. Yet, it was an eye-popping Sunday night road performance of over 200 yards rushing that grabbed everyone’s attention. After being late to practice he went from a commodity to Belichick’s doghouse.

Dion Lewis—2015
The Patriots did it once again with scatback Dion Lewis. The hardly used fourth-year back suddenly became a staple for the Patriots. He was on his way to an outstanding season before an injury cut his season short at mid-season.

The Patriots ability to thrive at the running back position continues to be a main reason for their consistency.

Counting on unforeseen standout contributions is a pattern we can all expect to ease the pressure for Garrapulo and Brady to blossom in 2016.

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Fantasy football playoffs are officially here. Some season’s are done and others are on playoff bye weeks. For the teams that are seeded this week you really need to concentrate on puzzling your team together week by week. If you’re on a bye week it’s not time to feel all cozy and neglect possible adds to your team. Here are a few names that did well during Thanksgiving week in the NFL.

Mark Sanchez
Sanchez has erased doubts temporarily for the ongoing conclusion of the 2014 NFL season. His lease for fantasy football owners needs to be just that. I’m not sold on him as a top 12 fantasy quarterback in 2015, but for now his play warrants an add for fantasy football owners.

Ryan Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick is the quarterback with fifteen lives over the last decade. I’ve profiled him enough to not go into detail here but he keeps making the most of his extra chances. The rhythm he was in Sunday was a top five to ten quarterback performance of the season. Six touchdown passes only cements that statement further.

Daniel Herron
At first Trent Richardson’s struggles were laughable now it’s just a sad downward spiral. Herron has been a special teams player in the NFL and now he is the one taking carries away from Richardson. Herron had a fumble a few weeks ago but seems to be the scatback the Colts need.

Cole Beasley
I’m not sure what is going on with Terrance Williams but he has put up dud performances for well over a month. Jason Witten has always been a main cog in the offense along with Dez, but it looks like Cole Beasley is starting to trickle past Williams.

Others: Kenny Stills, Jonas Gray, and Jarvis Landry

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A lot can change in a week’s time in fantasy football. Announcements have been made for quarterback changes with the Jets and Redskins. How about over in New England where coveted back Jonas Gray has suddenly faded into obsolete once again. All due to him being late for practice.

Here are some names to focus on to bolster your fantasy football rosters. Have a great Thanksgiving with your families and good luck in week thirteen.

Colt McCoy
McCoy delivered one of the better performances from a backup quarterback this season against the Cowboys. There is no denying that the Redskins offense is fantasy friendly. Cousins and RG3 have had their moments even though they’ve played below average for the most part. McCoy will go in to this with the mindset he has nothing to lose. That could result in some key games from McCoy.

Mark Sanchez
In deep, deep leagues you may want to take a look at Sanchez. He is obviously turnover prone but has shown enough in three starts to warrant a fantasy backup quarterback position. He is keeping the offense fluid and crisp and has delivered solid yardage outputs in all three starts.

LaTavius Murray
Murray’s ceiling is limited but he had one of the best runs of the season and it was nationally televised. There will be owners that want to see what else he can offer going forward. Take your chance as the Raiders backfield is the oldest in football. They may look to Murray as a sign for the future.

LeGarrette Blount
Blount’s game against the Lions will likely be his best game of the season. He just can’t be counted on for close to 80 yards at this point in his career. But the value he has for touchdowns is exponential. A big back on a New England team that is scoring at a high rate.

Toby Gerhart
The Jaguars offense has been far from pretty but a bright spot has been the backfield. DeNard Robinson had a solid five week stretch for fantasy owners and Storm Johnson had a brief window of fantasy output as well. This was all caused by Gerhart struggling with injuries most of the season. He has been brought back and involved slowly but I did notice a regained burst in his limited carries against the Colts.

Daniel Herron
Herron did fumble once in his twelve carries against the Jaguars. But with Trent Richardson’s struggles and Bradshaw out, the Colts have no choice but to rely on Herron to keep the defense honest.

Miles Austin
With Josh Gordon back in the fold the Browns will be looking to get the football to their stud receiver. That means more three wide receiver sets to get the defensive secondary a bit off balance. Austin is a savvy veteran that may be a shell of himself but he is still capable of snaring the football.

Tim Wright
The August trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally showed signs of paying off in Sunday’s win over the Lions. Rob Gronkowski has ascended himself over the last month as being back in shape and a premier tight end once again. With focus shifting back on Gronkowski it is allowing the Patriots to open up the middle of the field like they use to with Aaron Hernandez.

Louis Murphy
Mike Evans may be gobbling up all the touchdowns but there have been plenty of balls heading Murphy’s way too. The offense is void of a rushing attack and therefore they are having to allow on their big play receivers. Murphy has been an underrated third wide receiver in the NFL in stints throughout the league.

Kenny Stills
Anytime you get eight catches in the Saints offense you’re an automatic waiver wire pickup. Stills had a few key games as a rookie when injuries plagued the Saints. Now with Brandin Cooks out he has a chance once again to thrive in one of the most pass heavy offenses in the league.

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Black Friday and Thanksgiving are just a week away. That means fantasy playoffs are ever-so-close. Prepare yourself for that last stretch by reviewing possible player adds following week eleven’s games.

Andy Dalton
People love to hate Dalton but he is still a young quarterback in this league. Other quarterbacks have struggled at stretches of season’s and not taken as much ridicule as Dalton. With AJ Green and him connecting at a high rate it automatically catapults Dalton to a second tier fantasy QB (12th-17th).

Jonas Gray
Gray’s outing on Sunday night football speaks for itself. Now fantasy owners have to play the bidding war with fellow league mates or hope they have the first waiver wire priority.

Jerrick McKinnon
There are plenty of fantasy leagues where owners anticipated AP coming back and dropped McKinnon in advance. That has backfired as AP has been suspended. This is a premium position to go ahead and grab McKinnon as he has been an advanced PPR running back and a consistent all-purpose yards back.

Isiah Cromwell
The Browns decision to cut Ben Tate cements the new load Cromwell has been receiving. Cromwell and West have paired to be a solid backfield. With the cloud of Tate gone, Cromwell can be a solid fantasy contributor the remainder of the season.

Stephfan Taylor
It’s clear that Andre Ellington has been playing at less than 100% all season. The speed he possessed last season just isn’t there, which is probably due to the foot injury he suffered in preseason. Taylor returned last week against the Lions in a limited role, but don’t be shocked to see his carries climb up to the levels we saw before his injury.

Kenny Britt
Britt may be a one week wonder but his past stats as a Titan make him a worthwhile boom/bust addition to team’s struggling at wide receiver. His big play came early and proved to be all the separation the Rams needed to defeat the Broncos.

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Fantasy playoffs are just weeks away. Just because you may have clinched a playoff berth does not mean you can rest on your laurels. Managing a team for possible upgrades should never stop being a constant battle for you. Here are some additions after week ten’s on-field NFL performances that could help bolster your roster.

Joe Flacco
Chances are Flacco may be available in your fantasy leagues. If so and you feel that you’ll need a possible option in the coming weeks, grab Flacco now. He is one of the more hot/cold quarterbacks in football. I see his cold streak ending here shortly and Flacco rising back up in the fantasy quarterback rankings.

Terrence West
Cleveland hadn’t shown any fantasy football value at the running back position almost the entire season. That changed Thursday night as West stole the show. Owners that had West before are likely punching themselves right now for not having the patience to stick with him. Cincinnati’s pour run defense attributed to West’s great night, but his amount of carries are what should be intriguing to suitors.

Bryce Brown
Brown may have had one of the worst turnovers Sunday as he fumbled as he was getting close to Kansas City’s goal line. It started the turn around of misfortune for the Bills collapse in that game. Brown though did showcase some of the skills he had in Philadelphia a year ago. It’s a crowded backfield with Brown, Dixon, and Fred Jackson but one that should see each be a part of the game plan.

Damien Williams
Lamar Miller’s nagging injuries are obviously taking a toll on his reps. Williams has seen a rise in production and could continue to do so. Miller owner’s that have been depending on his fantasy production may want to protect themselves during this final stretch of the season.

Carlos Hyde
Hyde has already teased us a few times this season with fantasy touchdowns. At some point the 49ers are going to realize they need to dictate the offense running the football with Frank Gore and Hyde. That creates the comfort Kaepernick needs to sling the football down the field and move the offense secondarily via the pass. If they make this adjustment week in and week out than Hyde is worth picking up again.

CJ Anderson
Anderson was one of those backs people had an eye on well over a month ago when Montee Ball went down. Ronnie Hillman had shown that he would be the main back over the last month and Anderson showed very little upside. Suddenly a third down screen and awful poor tackling by the Raiders led to Anderson’s fantasy outbreak. Usually a guy that produces a breakout game on a Peyton Manning team continues to shine. Anderson should as well.

Jordan Matthews
Matthews makes a back to back entrance into the waiver wire pickup column. Surprisingly, he was not picked up as much as I thought he would during last week’s round of waiver wire acquisitions. There is no doubt after Monday night’s performance he will no longer be sitting unclaimed.

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Do you envy your league mates at the top that have already secured a fantasy playoff berth? You should. Fight through these last five to six fantasy weeks to try and earn yourself one of those last few playoff spots up for grabs. Here are some fantasy waiver wire additions that may be of aid to you.

Carson Palmer
Palmer continues to add higher value than he has over the last three to four seasons. The offense isn’t as potent as it was a year ago or under Bruce Arians in Indianapolis. They’ve simplified things to lessen the pressure on Palmer, which has benefited the team in the wins/loss column. There is always one or two plays a game where Palmer still lets the ball go deep down the field and has had success.

Adrian Peterson
Some owners were quick to already land AP a week ago when rumors were circulating on his current situation. Now that he has his off the field issues taken care of, it will be up to the commissioner to rule where to go from here. This is an odd issue for the league once again but more than likely AP will be on the field before the season concludes.

Toby Gerhart
It’s likely doubtful that Gerhart will regain the starting role over Denard Robinson, but Gerhart could have goal line fantasy value for Jacksonville. Storm Johnson filled in that role when Gerhart was out with injury and scored a couple of touchdowns. Gerhart was used lightly last week but he looked to have a burst for the first time this season.

Mike Evans
Boy oh boy, I profiled Evans last week as owners were pushing him to the waiver wire. It was a classic case of not waiting long enough to see heightened possible fantasy value. Rush to the wire now and bid, bid, away.

Taylor Gabriel
Gabriel’s value is one that could go one of two ways in a few weeks. With Josh Gordon returning the Browns will likely finally open up the offense downfield. That could open up even more opportunities for Gabriel, as the Browns have been one of the worst teams in football for fantasy value at wide receiver or running back this season.

Jordan Matthews
Matthews was the preseason hype fantasy draftee that quickly fizzled below the hype. Now with Mark Sanchez at quarterback owners can truly expect Matthews to have some sort of fantasy value. He may not register the type of numbers he did a week ago against Houston, but he offers great depth to sub out a non-performing fifth wide receiver currently on your team.