Drake Maye DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye only saw six plays in his preseason debut and sat out for the rest of the game. The rookie is taking things day by day as he continues to get plenty of reps in practice. Head coach Jerod Mayo said that there are still two more preseason games to get him some more game speed reps, but he's not going to force Maye to play with backup offensive linemen or put him in any tough situations. This all seems to be a way to protect Maye, so he'll likely be the top quarterback on the depth chart this season, but how safe the Patriots are willing to be is to be determined. Dynasty managers will want to check for updates as the preseason rolls on.

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said that rookie first-round quarterback Drake Maye will play in the team's preseason opener on Thursday against the Carolina Panthers. "Everyone who is healthy enough to play in the game, will play," Mayo said. The head coach also said that the plan right now is for veteran Jacoby Brissett to start on Thursday. Although nothing has been officially announced, Brissett is the clear favorite to start for the Pats in the Week 1 regular season opener. While the 21-year-old Maye, who was the third overall pick in April's NFL draft, has much more long-term upside than Brissett, he's reportedly looked like a rookie in training camp as he tries to learn New England's offense. We'll get a better look at Maye during the preseason, but for now, he's not much of a redraft option in fantasy as he heads into his first year in the league.

New England Patriots first-round rookie quarterback Drake Maye has looked like a rookie so far in training camp. Working with a backup offensive line isn't doing Maye any favors, but he's also just 21 years old with only 26 collegiate starts under his belt. The former North Carolina signal-caller is now running a much different offense than he was in college where he's reading out progressions and is tasked with operating in structure. It's going to take more reps for Maye to get his timing down. He looks his best when they get him on the move and he's attacking single coverage on the outside. The jury remains out on whether Maye can eventually be the team's future under center, but for now, Maye continues to adjust to a brand-new offensive system. He's almost certainly going to open the 2024 season as the backup to veteran Jacoby Brissett.

New England Patriots veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett is the team's unquestioned QB1 entering training camp this summer, but the Patriots are rolling with an open competition at the position, which will begin on Wednesday morning. Asked if he could envision third overall pick Drake Maye winning the job under center before Week 1 comes, head coach Jerod Mayo said it's "absolutely" a possibility. But right now, Brissett is easily the most "pro-ready" QB on New England's roster. Maye has high-end upside in the long-term, but he's seen as more of a project and could certainly benefit from sitting and learning behind Brissett for a while. Mayo said there's no plan to give the 21-year-old a redshirt season in 2024. We wouldn't be surprised if the North Carolina alum is starting by the end of the year, but Maye is a much better dynasty/keeper target this year than a redraft one in fantasy.

New England Patriots rookie first-round quarterback Drake Maye continues to make strides at mandatory minicamp this week. Maye nearly matched veteran Jacoby Brissett in repetitions for the second consecutive open practice on Monday, and there's more juice to the offensive operation when Maye is at the controls. His arm talent and athleticism allow him to, in flashes, elevate players around him. It's exactly what the Patriots want to hear of the No. 3 overall pick, who has the playmaker gene, but they understandably don't seem to be in a rush to start Maye as their QB1 to open the regular season, especially with the remaining pieces of the offense being a work in progress in a new offensive scheme. Maye's early impressiveness will make him an even more popular draft pick in dynasty/keeper leagues, but he's probably not going to be much of a redraft target.