Fantasy managers who head into their drafts with the mentality
of, "I must get the QB1" usually end up spending a first or second-round
pick on Josh Allen. While Allen has returned value as that top
QB for multiple seasons, New England's Drake Maye presents a serious
mathematical path to overall QB1 production at a significant discount.
Sure, he doesn't have the proven floor that Allen provides, but
Maye finished this past season as the QB3 while averaging 24.3
points per game, and he did so with a significantly regressed
Stefon Diggs (who is not even currently on an NFL roster) as his
WR1. New England has since resolved that roster gap by trading
for A.J. Brown following the NFL Draft.
Injecting a proven target-earner into an offense where Maye already
threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns fundamentally shifts his
weekly ceiling. Maye goes from a player who will likely need to
do a lot of his damage underneath coverage to one who can launch
the ball down the field into contested-catch-type situations and
actually see positive results if necessary.
Beyond the passing volume, Maye's fantasy foundation is anchored
by a high scramble rate and designed red zone runs. He recorded
450 rushing yards and four rushing scores last year, providing
an ability to make a play when things break down. Those four rushing
scores were nice, but the truth is that he actually has potential
for more if the Patriots' offense is better overall this season
than they were in 2025. Maye also limits negative plays, throwing
just eight regular season interceptions and avoiding any multi-pick
outings entirely before the Super Bowl.
Playing a first-place schedule often scares fantasy managers,
but facing higher scoring offenses also forces negative or at
least neutral game scripts that demand heavier passing volume.
Maye is an elite option whose combination of passing efficiency
and rushing utilization creates a true weekly advantage over the
average QB in your league, while being one of the only players
who actually has a chance to dethrone Josh Allen as the QB1 this
season.
TreVeyon Henderson produced an impressive rookie stat line with
911 rushing yards, 221 receiving yards, and 11 total touchdowns,
but his late season usage pattern creates an uncertain fantasy
profile heading into his second season.
Between Weeks 9 and 18, Henderson touched the ball at least 13
times in all but one contest. He seemed to have seized control
as the “RB1” in what was admittedly still a committee alongside
teammate Rhamondre Stevenson. The postseason, however, revealed
a stark shift in trust from the coaching staff.
During New England's playoff run, Stevenson reclaimed primary
backfield duties, most notably leaving Henderson with a shockingly
pathetic three touches in the AFC Championship game and just nine
touches in the Super Bowl. When everything was on the line, and
both players were relatively healthy, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots'
coaching staff looked to Stevenson to close things out while Henderson
watched from the sidelines.
Selecting Henderson at an ADP multiple rounds ahead of Stevenson
requires being comfortable with some serious risk. It's true that
Henderson does have the talent profile to be a top-12 back, but
that relies on him securing high value touches on third downs
and inside the 10-yard line. Those are both areas where Mike Vrabel
leaned heavily on the veteran down the stretch.
Unless the offensive staff grants him a clear 60% or higher snap
share, Henderson's weekly production will remain volatile. Treat
Henderson as a talent-driven RB2 option whose current price tag
carries significant risk given the unsettled workload within the
New England backfield.
Rhamondre Stevenson enters his sixth season with New England
and continues to offer reliable production despite sharing backfield
duties with TreVeyon Henderson.
Even while operating in a committee throughout 2025, Stevenson
averaged 12.9 fantasy points per game, largely due to his heavy
involvement in tight game situations. The postseason highlighted
just how Mike Vrabel values his size and experience. In the AFC
Championship game against Denver, Stevenson recorded 25 touches
compared to just three for Henderson -- it wasn't just that the
Patriots gave him RB1 snaps, he completely drowned out his teammate.
A team riding the “hot hand” is nothing new, but that wasn't even
the case here. Stevenson did it while averaging just 2.8 yards
per carry. That trend continued into the Super Bowl where Stevenson
again out-touched Henderson, albeit on not nearly as lopsided
of a final statline.
The late-season volume surge demonstrates Stevenson's role as
the team's most-trusted back, particularly in short-yardage and
goal-line situations. Currently being selected multiple rounds
behind Henderson, Stevenson presents a very similar scoring floor
at a significantly cheaper draft cost. His lack of breakaway speed
limits explosive home run plays, but consistent pass protection
reps and high leverage touches secure his playing time and further
guarantee his weekly floor. The price tag difference between these
two backs really comes down to potential ceiling. While both backs
will see significant touches in 2026, Henderson carries the higher
individual ceiling and he's the one who has a real chance to break
away as the true bell cow if they're both healthy here in 2026.
In an efficient offense driven by Drake Maye, goal-line opportunities
will remain plentiful, giving Stevenson double-digit touchdown
potential. Consider him a high-floor RB3 or Flex play who carries
solid weekly standalone value regardless of how the surrounding
backfield split evolves.
One of the biggest offseason moves heading into 2026 was A.J.
Brown to New England. This trade gives the Patriots a true boundary
X-receiver capable of commanding a heavy air yards share in what
is expected to be a high-octane passing offense -- a stark difference
from what he dealt with in Philadelphia.
During his four-year tenure in Philadelphia, Brown shared targets
with another high-end receiver in DeVonta Smith, as well as a
high-end tight end in Dallas Goedert. Even with that competition,
Brown still managed to clear 1,000 receiving yards in every season
with the Eagles, and has now done so in six of his first seven
professional campaigns going back to his time with the Titans.
Brown's move to Foxborough pairs him with Drake Maye in an offense
where secondary targets consist mainly of Romeo Doubs and tight
end Hunter Henry. That lack of high-end competition projects Brown
for an elite target share north of 25%, which is particularly
valuable with Maye behind center as opposed to Jalen Hurts.
Playing at least 13 games in every year of his career demonstrates
Brown's durable profile that establishes a high floor for the
season. Moving from a run-heavy Eagles system to a high-volume
Patriots passing game should all but eliminate the low volume
weeks that occasionally limited his output in past years.
Currently floating around a late-second or early-third round
ADP depending on your draft platform, Brown combines a high floor
with top-five WR upside. He's a strong selection at ADP whose
only real concern is a lack of familiarity with the playbook on
his new team.
Signing with New England gives Romeo Doubs a clear path to high
snap volume after spending four seasons competing in a crowded
Green Bay receiver rotation. Despite earning 43 starts over his
final three years with the Packers, battling inside one of the
league's widest target distributions capped his individual fantasy
ceiling both weekly and for the year.
In New England, he slides into the primary WR2 role opposite
fellow newcomer A.J. Brown. While Brown commands top defensive
coverage and a heavy target share, Doubs benefits from consolidated
secondary volume in a passing offense directed by one of the league's
top passers in Drake Maye.
Never clearing 100 targets in a single season during his Packers
tenure, reaching that milestone becomes realistic given the lack
of depth behind New England's top two perimeter options. Standing
6-foot-2, Doubs offers a sneaky physical frame out wide, making
him an ideal target on back-shoulder throws and inside the 20-yard
line when defenses shade safety help toward Brown.
His weekly target variance makes him a fringe starter at best
in standard 12-team leagues, but his red zone role in a top offense
creates touchdown upside. Consider Doubs a mid-range WR4 with
some hidden contingent value should Brown miss time.
TE Hunter Henry
(2025 TE Rank: No. 9, 10.5 FPts/G)
Hunter Henry finished as the TE9 last season, finishing with
an impressive 768 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns, but those
relying on a repeat performance are likely making a mistake.
Henry's elite efficiency masked a low volume ceiling, as his
60 receptions represented the lowest total among all top 10 fantasy
tight ends in 2025. He got to his totals with an impressive 12.8
yards per reception, which could be possible again due to New
England's offseason acquisitions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs
who could open things up for Henry in the intermediate areas of
the field. However, the arrival of Brown and Doubs is a problem
as those two will almost certainly gobble up the high value deep
routes and targets near the goal line, directly threatening the
touchdown output that has sustained Henry's fantasy value.
To make things even more complicated, New England drafting Notre
Dame tight end Eli Raridon in the third round introduces competition
for inline snaps and blocking duties, potentially reducing Henry's
overall route participation in the offense.
While Maye's growth keeps the Patriots offense efficient, tight
ends who depend heavily on red zone touchdown conversion rather
than raw target volume end up producing volatile weekly scores.
Outside of leagues where managers are forced to start two tight
ends, Henry lacks the target volume necessary to offer consistent
starting production. Draft him as a mid-range TE2 whose weekly
value rests on converting limited red zone opportunities into
touchdowns.
