Tom Brady has been, well Brady-less over the course of his last few starts. Including the postseason, the future Hall of Fame quarterback has thrown five touchdowns compared to four interceptions in his last four games. Those are definitely not on par with what we have come to expect from the talented quarterback over the last decade.

Reeling from their first home-opening loss since 2001, the New England Patriots must rebound in a big way against a Baltimore Ravens team also coming off a disappointing defeat.

If you selected Brady in your fantasy draft it is pretty damn obvious that you are relying on him to start every week that New England plays during the regular season. However, if you have a solid QB2 option going up against a lesser defense it might make sense to go that route.

For example, Alex Smith might actually be a better bet this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings than Brady is going up against a stout Ravens’ defense.

Surprisingly, Baltimore ranks 27th against the pass so far this season giving up 275 yards per game. However, total yards against don’t necessarily tell the entire story. The Ravens have tallied three interceptions compared to just one touchdown while opposing quarterbacks have accumulated a pedestrian 78.9 rating.

It is also extremely important to take into account the fact that Aaron Hernandez will be extensive time with an injury, leaving Brady without one of his most important weapons in the passing game.

Less newsworthy, but equally important is the fact that Brady has thrown just four touchdowns compared to seven interceptions in his last four starts against the Ravens. He just doesn’t seem to feel too comfortable going up against the likes of Ray Lewis and Co.

In short, you could feel comfortable starting the Ravens’ defense against this Patriots offense instead of looking to pick up another mediocre defense off the scrapheap. More importantly, if you have a viable QB2 option, you might want to think long and hard about looking in his direction.