When U.S. district judge Richard Berman made it loud and clear that Brady would not be serving a four-game suspension, stock rose. No not Apple, or Microsoft, the Tom Brady stock rose within the ranks of fantasy football.
I’m here to give you three reasons why you SHOULD draft, pick up or trade for Tom Brady.
1) Pressure busts pipes, as the saying goes. This entire debacle created from a false tweet from a misinformed ESPN reporter created one of the NFL’s biggest stories it has ever seen. In turn, giving one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks the perfect reason to unleash this season. Brady’s ADP (average draft position) is around #62, this will likely rise with the four games being lifted.
With that being noted if you can still get Brady in the tail end of the fifth round as you backup QB then grab him. Tom Brady is the quintessential candidate for someone having something to prove, what does he need to prove you ask? You do not mess with Tom Brady and his integrity of the game.
2) Reggie Wayne: Consider this, in 2010 when Randy Moss graced Gillette Stadium with his presence on Sundays Brady averaged 19.3 ppg and ranked third that year behind Michael Vick and Aaron Rodgers. Now let’s not pretend Reggie Wayne still has the same abilities he once did but just a short three years ago, Wayne amassed an impressive 163 fantasy points, now the numbers have tapered off, but Wayne has every bit of talent Moss had and with Reggie Wayne’s newest BFF, we could all be hearing “Brady to Wayne for the touchdown!”
3) Numbers don’t lie: at the ripe ol’ age of 38, Brady has not shown any significant signs of regression, in a world where fantasy football is almost as big as the real NFL you may even say Brady has shown signs of improvement.
Since 2012, his completion percentage has risen, 2012: 63.0%, 2013: 60.5%, 2014: 64.1%. Brady’s touchdown to interception ratio improved as well going from 25 TDs and 11 INTs in 2013 to 33 TDs and 9 INTs in 2014.
Brady’s passer rating rose compared to two years ago, 2013: 87.3 compared to 97.4 last season.
Not Roger Goodell, not age, not tabloids spewing nonsense about his marriage, not even the Tom Brady haters will prevent this man from suiting up and playing this coming Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and if you were wise enough and drafted, picked up or traded for Brady you should even consider starting him against the 25th ranked defense according to ESPN’s defensive rankings.
A once elite defense is now an after thought to what they once brought to the table.
You could potentially be looking at a monster night for TB12, my prediction: 360 passing yards 3 passing TD’s, 1 rushing TD and 1 INT with a passer rating of 101 or above. Mark that down on a post it folks.