New England Patriots DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas has emerged as one of the team's more sought-after waiver wire additions ahead of his Week 4 clash with the San Francisco 49ers. The second-year pass-catcher was not involved nearly as much as expected through the first two games, but veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett made it up to him with seven completions for 69 yards in Week 3 this year. The Patriots enter Sunday's game as 10.5-point underdogs, which means they may need to adopt a pass-heavy approach so that they can keep pace with the 49ers and focus on their own time of possession. Douglas figures to be one of Brissett's preferred options in the passing game going forward. He ranks as a WR3/FLEX in leagues with at least 14 teams.

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson has earned additional attention in fantasy football leagues ahead of his Week 4 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Gibson is coming off an intriguing Week 3 in which he had two more touches and 14 more scrimmage yards than Rhamondre Stevenson. He also offers ball security, which Stevenson can't necessarily echo given that he has three fumbles in 2024, lost a fumble last week, and was in the previous coaching staff's dog house for ball security issues. While Stevenson did play more snaps than Gibson last week, neither hit 50 percent. Reduced volume in an unproductive offense like the Patriots' makes it tough to trust Gibson in fantasy football this week, but he's absolutely worth monitoring as a potential low-end RB3 in case he continues to carve out opportunities.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is suddenly difficult to trust in fantasy football following his quiet outing against the New York Jets in Week 3. The Patriots' lead back tallied just 23 yards in the contest, and his job doesn't get any easier ahead of Week 4 versus the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners' defense has merely ranked near the middle of the league in opportunities, yards, and fantasy points allowed to running backs, but even the pure game script alone could be enough to keep Stevenson from having a solid fantasy performance. San Francisco is currently favored by 10.5 points. If they get an early lead, they will run the ball to drain the clock and reduce opportunities for the Patriots' playmakers. Similarly, in that scenario, New England would feel more pressure to pass the football and take the ball out of their running back's hands. All of these factors ultimately lead to Stevenson ranking just inside the top 24 fantasy running backs with a low floor and a high ceiling.

New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett should be left on waivers in most fantasy leagues ahead of his Week 4 clash with the San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots hoped Brissett could help transition them into the Drake Maye era by opening the season as the starter, playing clean football, and eventually turning over the reins to the No. 3 pick. So far, that has come to fruition as Brissett won the job in Week 1 and has completed 42 passes for 368 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions since then. He hasn't been asked to throw much at all, which has limited his big-play ability. However, he's done a good job taking care of the football, tallying zero turnovers so far. Sacks, on the other hand, have been an issue for the veteran. New England's porous offensive line has allowed Brissett to be taken down nine times this year, including five in Week 3 against the New York Jets. To put it simply, the Patriots are letting Brissett take the dirty work under center until they feel Maye is ready to get game action. We saw the rookie make his NFL debut in the waning minutes of the Jets game, and the expectation is that he'll continue to see more opportunities going forward as he gets acclimated to an NFL style of play. In the interim, Brissett remains the starting quarterback in this run-heavy offense. This week, he's a fantasy QB3 against a 49ers defense that has allowed the sixth-fewest completions this year.

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (ankle) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, according to Mark Daniels of MassLive. The veteran has been inconsistent in fantasy football this season, catching eight passes for 109 yards in Week 2 but then disappearing for just two catches and nine yards in Week 3. His fantasy value directly correlates to the state of the Patriots' offense, which isn't very good right now. New England's unfavorable offensive outlook makes all of their skill players, including Henry, tough to trust from a fantasy football perspective. On the injury front, the good news is that players who are limited on Wednesday have a solid chance to practice in full before the practice week ends. We should know more about Henry's status by Friday afternoon, but as of now, he's trending toward playing against the San Francisco 49ers.