New England Patriots DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will look to remain a fringe top-12 fantasy option as his team returns home for the first time since Week 13. The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17, putting the No. 3 pick up against a Bolts defense that has allowed the 11th-most rushing yards but 14th-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2024. Maye himself has been solid lately, averaging 37.7 rushing yards per game as a starter while amassing four total touchdowns over his last two contests. The one drawback with Maye has been his tendency to lose the football; the UNC product has 12 turnovers over his last seven games. If Maye can clean up the turnovers while remaining productive on the ground and near the end zone, he could sneak into the top-12 quarterback range. For the time being, he ranks as a mid-to-high QB2.

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper caught four of his five targets for 55 yards during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. It has been fascinating to watch him take on a larger role in the Patriots' offense without detracting much from Hunter Henry's volume, productivity, or fantasy value. Over his last six games, Hooper has 22 catches, 293 yards, and two touchdowns, out-producing Henry in yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points (PPR) during that span. That's not to say that Hooper should be started over Henry going forward, but it's at least justification to consider adding him off waivers in deeper fantasy leagues. After all, he has shown that he can produce consistently, tallying at least 6.8 fantasy points in each of his last six games. Hooper should continue to rank as a mid-range fantasy TE2 heading into next Saturday's battle with the Los Angeles Chargers.

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry caught four of his nine targets for 39 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The veteran tight end finished as Drake Maye's top target, playing 83.6 percent of the offensive snaps along the way, but he hauled in fewer than half of the passes thrown his way. On a positive note, Henry did find the end zone, breaking an eight-game scoreless streak. He posted double-digit fantasy points (PPR) for the seventh time this season and will continue to rank as a low-end TE1 when he faces his old team, the Los Angeles Chargers, next Sunday in New England.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne converted his two targets into two receptions for 18 yards during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The veteran pass-catcher was dependable when Drake Maye threw his way, but that didn't happen too often on Sunday evening. This was Bourne's worst outing since Week 8 and will keep him off the fantasy radar going forward. On a positive note, he did play 69.8 percent of the offensive snaps on Sunday, which was his highest mark since Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans (and his third-highest mark through 10 games this season). Moving forward, Bourne can be left on fantasy waivers. He faces the Los Angeles Chargers next Saturday afternoon in Massachusetts.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas caught four of his five targets for 33 yards during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The dependable slot receiver continued to demonstrate his rapport with Drake Maye, but he was still less productive than Kayshon Boutte, Austin Hooper, and Hunter Henry in the pass-catching department. New England does not have an alpha receiver, but they have enough dispersed talent in the passing game that it has become challenging to trust Douglas (or any Patriots wide receiver) on a weekly basis. If there's one thing working in the 24-year-old's favor, it's his increased role around the goal line. He scored a touchdown last week against the Arizona Cardinals, and he was so close to finding the end zone again this Sunday, but replay review determined that Douglas' alleged one-yard touchdown grab actually came loose and hit the ground before he had full control. Regardless of the officials' ruling, it's promising to see Maye look Douglas' way in key situations, especially as the Patriots' offense shows more and more signs of life down the stretch. Douglas ranks as a fantasy WR4 with legitimate WR3 upside. He can be started in fantasy leagues with at least 14 teams when he takes on the Los Angeles Chargers next Saturday.