New England Patriots DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry is back on the fantasy radar after a promising showing last Sunday. Now, in Week 7, Henry faces off against a Jaguars defense that has allowed the most touchdowns and the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season. Just last Sunday, they allowed Cole Kmet to break out for one of the best games of his career (five catches, 70 yards, and two touchdowns). As for Henry, he's coming off his second-best game of the season; he caught three passes for 41 yards and also found the end zone for the first time since Week 15 of last year. The Patriots' decision to switch from Jacoby Brissett to Drake Maye seems to have paid off for the whole offense, including Henry. He's a high-end TE2 who could certainly sneak into the TE1 tier with a touchdown this week. Managers can absolutely justify streaming him in Week 7.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is coming off the best game of his young career and could have some low-end fantasy appeal heading into Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last Sunday, Boutte played a career-high 83 percent of snaps, registering three catches for 59 yards and his first career touchdown. Interestingly, Boutte led all Patriots receivers in snaps last week, so even his mere ability to get on the field bodes well for his fantasy upside. Assuming Boutte remains in a large role and plays at least 75 percent of the snaps this week, he's a solid fantasy option thanks to his big-play upside against a very porous Jaguars secondary. Jacksonville has surrendered the third-most receptions, second-most receiving yards, fifth-most touchdowns, and second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this year. Based on rankings alone, Boutte is still a fringe top-50 wide receiver. However, when you consider his upside or ceiling, managers can justify inserting the second-year pass-catcher into their lineups as a WR3 or FLEX play.

New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk is not a dependable fantasy option for Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On one hand, you would expect Polk, who played 100 percent of snaps just two weeks ago, to thrive against a Jaguars defense allowing the third-most receptions, second-most receiving yards, fifth-most touchdowns, and second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this year. However, we've seen him take a slight step backward lately as he caught just one pass on a 65 percent snap share in Drake Maye's first career start last week. The rookie receiver was also called out by head coach Jerod Mayo, who said Polk needed "to get over this mental hump" and "eliminate the dropped passes." If the head coach can't trust Polk to stay mentally strong and catch passes that hit his hands, he'll likely play fewer snaps and have a smaller role within the offense, at least for the time being. Despite Sunday's favorable matchup, Polk's limited production this season and these concerning comments from Mayo leave him as a fringe top-50 fantasy receiver who can be benched in most leagues.

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas has emerged as a fantasy-relevant weapon within his team's offense, and he remains on the fantasy radar as a strong WR3 play for Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Douglas has consistently showcased his ability to handle heavy volume and produce short-yardage catches, both as a rookie last year and throughout the start of this season. He's also been able to thrive regardless of which quarterback is under center, posting big games while catching passes from Mac Jones, Jacoby Brissett, and Drake Maye, among others. Douglas has at least six catches and nine targets in three of his last four games. Last week, in Maye's first career start, he connected with the young receiver for six completions, 92 yards (a career-high for Douglas), and one touchdown (the first of Douglas' career). The two seem to have formed a strong rapport already, and that should continue heading into a favorable matchup against the Jaguars this Sunday. Jacksonville has surrendered the third-most receptions, second-most receiving yards, fifth-most touchdowns, and second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this year. Douglas is a very solid WR3 play with even higher upside.

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson is a candidate to start against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7 with Rhamondre Stevenson (foot) expected to be a game-time decision. Even if Gibson does start, though, he doesn't need to be inserted into every fantasy lineup. In fact, the 26-year-old has actually been more productive with Stevenson on the field this season. As the backup from Weeks 2 through 4, Gibson averaged 10 touches and 73 scrimmage yards per game. Over the last two weeks, as the Patriots' starting running back, he has averaged 12 touches and 50 scrimmage yards per game. Still, we can't ignore the opportunity presented to Gibson if Stevenson is inactive, especially with such a favorable matchup on tap. The Patriots face the Jaguars, who have allowed the second-most receptions, second-most receiving yards, third-most receiving touchdowns, and seventh-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. If Gibson does draw the start, he'll rank as a mid-to-low RB3/FLEX play in fantasy football.