New England Patriots DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne continues to trend in the wrong direction ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The 29-year-old has seen his role decline over the last two weeks, during which he has been less productive than both DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. Bourne played just 72 percent of the offensive snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers, and his two receptions tied his lowest mark since Week 8. The Bills have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to perimeter receivers, but that's less appealing when you consider that Boutte continues to handle more snaps than Bourne. Despite the favorable matchup, Bourne's reduced volume keeps him outside the top 50 fantasy receivers for Week 18. He ranks as a mid-to-low WR5.

New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye remains off the fantasy radar heading into Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Buffalo Bills. Slye has demonstrated impressive power as the Patriots' kicker this season, but his accuracy issues have been well-documented. Furthermore, as the Patriots' offense continues to struggle, scoring opportunities have been hard to come by for the 28-year-old. He has not attempted a single field goal over the last two weeks, adding just four successful extra points during that span. Although the Patriots have a more promising outlook in Week 18 with the Bills expected to deploy many of their reserve players, New England still isn't a dependable offense, which means Slye, who ranks 24th among kickers in fantasy points this year, remains unreliable. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for productive kicking options in the final week of the regular season.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (illness) has been removed from the injury report and will play in Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Buffalo Bills. Boutte has seen the field more than any Patriots receiver since Drake Maye was installed as the team's starting quarterback, but it's worth noting that last week's 77 percent snap share was his lowest mark since Week 5. Despite his reduced involvement, he should remain a central part of the Patriots' offensive game plan on Sunday afternoon. Boutte has caught nine of 12 targets for 123 yards and one touchdown over his last two games, and he's trending upward ahead of this week's matchup against a Bills defense that could rest some of its starters. The 22-year-old is a flashy deep threat, and he could use his speed to beat Buffalo defenders, especially those in depth roles. He remains a low-floor, high-ceiling option, ranking as a solid WR4 option in fantasy football.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas continues to trend upward ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Douglas had consistently been playing fewer than two-thirds of the Patriots' offensive snaps, but his snap share jumped to a season-high 92 percent in Week 17, and he could have a similar role against the Bills during the Patriots' regular-season finale. Douglas has been somewhat productive lately, too, catching 11 passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns over his last three games. The 24-year-old has suddenly found the end zone at a greater frequency than ever, and he remains one of the leading targets in New England's Drake Maye-led offense. Fantasy managers should expect him to rank as a low-end WR3 or high-end WR4 in Week 18.

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson is trending toward leading the backfield in snaps for the third consecutive week when he faces the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon. Gibson rushed 12 times for 63 yards last Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers, taking advantage of fellow running back Rhamondre Stevenson being in the doghouse amidst consistent ball security concerns. The Patriots haven't commented on their backfield alignment for Week 18, but we'd expect Gibson to remain the primary option once more against the Bills. The 26-year-old has upside in a game where the Bills could rest many of their defensive starters. Gibson struggled against the Chargers' starters last week, but he rushed for 53 yards on six carries (8.8 YPC) once Los Angeles started to play some of its depth defenders. We could see him have similar success once Buffalo turns to some of its non-starters in Week 18. Gibson is a solid RB3 for fantasy football.