Stefon Diggs to Patriots — Fantasy Impact

The New England Patriots gave their second-year quarterback a big-name receiver to throw to Tuesday evening, agreeing to terms with WR Stefon Diggs on a three-year, $69 million deal that includes $26 million in guarantees.

The 31-year-old Diggs spent 2024 with the Texans, though he was limited to eight games thanks to a torn ACL. In his just-under-a-half-season of work, Diggs totaled 47 receptions on 64 targets for 496 yards and 3 touchdowns. That was good for 15.2 PPR points per game, ahead of guys like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Ladd McConkey over the full year. Because of the injury, Diggs failed to reach 1,000 yards in 2024, his first time coming short of that number since 2017 in Minnesota. In between, from 2018 to 2023, he had six 1,000-yard seasons, four Pro Bowls and more PPR points than any receiver but Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams.

Diggs immediately becomes the best receiver Drake Maye has had in his young NFL career, and not by a little — DeMario Douglas was the team’s leading receiver last year with 66 receptions for 621 yards and 3 touchdowns in 17 games, and the team didn’t have a receiver average even 9.0 PPR PPG on the season. If Diggs is healthy, he is the best receiver in New England since at least Julian Edelman.

That “if healthy” caveat is big, of course — Diggs is 31 and half a season removed from a torn ACL. Reports are that he is ahead of schedule in his recovery, but then that’s always what reports are in March about a player who is looking for a job. Absent news indicating he’s good to go for Week 1, anyone investing in Diggs to be a big-time contributor right from the start is probably fooling themselves. More likely is the team eases him in, maybe even starting him on the PUP List, in hopes of getting a full Diggs later in the season.

A full Diggs would be a boon to Maye, who looked excellent as a rookie, making the Pro Bowl, but lacked any safe targets to throw to. Until we learn more, Diggs isn’t draftable in fantasy as anything more than a middling WR3 with upside, but that upside could be significant if his recovery really is ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, Maye is a mid- to high-end QB2, but he has upside for more than that as well. This is an upside move, though one with the downside to be “irrelevant” if Diggs can’t get back to his old self after the injury.