Analysis of the New England Patriots’ best fantasy football players for the upcoming season.
Let’s go through another NFL fantasy football team preview.
We’ve looked at the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons and will now cover the New England Patriots.
Check back soon for more team previews. Of course, some things will change between now and the start of the season, and FantasySP will report on any major changes as they occur.
Get ready for draft season! Practice mock drafts, view ADPs, and get trade advice with our Trade Analyzer.
Quarterback Fantasy Outlook
In the quarterback section, there are a few names to discuss here. is a veteran option for New England, while the rookie is viewed as the future of the team. III was also drafted this offseason and is at least worth mentioning because he played well in the first preseason game.
Brissett returns to New England after his rookie season. He played for Washington last season but was not a starter. Brissett has a record of 18-30 in his eight-year NFL career, with 51 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. Those aren’t bad numbers, but his 61.3% pass completion rate speaks volumes.
Maye was selected third overall in the draft and has been the star of the North Carolina team for the past two seasons, rushing for 7,329 yards, 62 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Milton played parts of six college seasons, the last three at Tennessee. In his final season, he threw for 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. He brings a rushing element to the game and was elusive in his preseason debut.
Maye is the best New England QB according to our ADP data, but I wouldn’t draft him in a standard league until the team names a starter. Whoever the starter is could be a late pick in standard league drafts, but I’d rather take him off the waiver list.
The team’s starter will open the season in the bottom third of the league in terms of fantasy QB options, so he may not be ready to start immediately even in deeper leagues or leagues with two QBs.
Running back fantasy prospects
is the team’s presumed No. 1 running back, but now offers the team good support.
Stevenson played in 12 games last season. He rushed for 619 yards and scored four touchdowns on 156 attempts. Stevenson added 238 receiving yards and no scores on 38 catches and 51 targets. In 2023, he had 1,461 total yards.
Gibson played the first four years of his NFL career with Washington. He played in 16 games last season. He rushed for 265 yards and one score on 65 attempts, while also rushing for 389 yards and two scores on 48 catches and 59 attempts. He totaled over 1,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in his first two seasons, but has since declined.
Stevenson is the man to have and you can get him at a very reasonable price right now. He is RB21 and trades around pick 64.
Gibson is RB52 and is selected at pick 158. None of the team’s other running backs are currently on the fantasy radar.
Stevenson is a fantasy candidate for a comeback and someone I would target in the middle rounds. He has the potential to be a top 10 fantasy RB but will likely surpass his RB21 mark pretty easily if he can play a full season. There is enough potential that I would take him and not have to worry too much about last year’s injury issues.
Gibson is a borderline draftable player in standard leagues, and that makes sense given his potential as a pass catcher and Stevenson’s injury last season. However, I think you could spend your later picks on a more useful player, and I would treat Gibson as a waiver wire/streaming option early in the season.
Both Stevenson and Gibson are solid options in deeper fantasy leagues. Both could be in the starting lineup if the Patriots offense is even average.
Fantasy Outlook for Wide Receivers
New England’s wide receivers are in chaos. Rookie and are likely to be the starters when everyone is healthy. and rookie are the best backups.
Others may play a role, but I wanted to focus on these six here. If things change before the season, FantasySP will cover it in a standalone story.
Douglas played in 14 games in his rookie season. He caught 49 balls on 79 attempts and managed 561 yards but no touchdowns. He managed 41 yards on eight rushing attempts.
Bourne played in eight games before suffering a season-ending injury. He wants to play in Week 1, but if he can’t, it would obviously hurt his fantasy prospects. Bourne had 406 yards and four scores on 37 catches and 55 targets last year.
In 11 games with New England last season, Reagor gained 138 yards on seven catches and 23 targets.
Osborn played the last four seasons with Minnesota. Last season, he played in 16 games and completed 48 of his 75 passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns.
Polk had a few good seasons with Washington during his college career. He could immediately become the team’s No. 1 receiver.
Baker began his college career at Alabama before making a name for himself at UCF, scoring 12 touchdowns over his final two seasons.
Polk is New England’s best receiver according to draft lists. He is WR68 and ends up at pick 168. Douglas is WR71 and ends up at pick 183. Baker is WR80 and ends up at pick 225. All other receivers end up at pick 250.
I also think Polk is the best fantasy option right now, but I also don’t think I would draft him in a standard league. I would wait a few weeks for players to figure out who the best receiver options are and then put the best ones on the waivers list.
Polk is the best option in deeper leagues and dynasties due to his potential/upside. I like them in the order they are on the ADP list. A lot of things could become clearer as the season progresses, so keep an eye on the list as time goes on.
Tight End Fantasy Outlook
is the best tight end in New England. and rookie are backup options.
Henry played 14 games for the Pats last season, rushing for 419 yards and scoring six points on 42 pass catches and 61 attempts.
Hooper played for the Raiders. He played in 17 games, caught 25 balls on 31 attempts for 234 yards and scored no points.
Bell had some good seasons during his four-year college career, playing at South Carolina and Florida State.
Henry is the guy to consider in fantasy drafts. He is TE18 and lands at pick 160.
Henry will be a streaming option this season, but I wouldn’t pick him in a standard league. There are bigger players to add at the end of the draft. I think he has a good chance to surpass the TE18 mark because whichever quarterback starts will likely check the ball a lot.
The Pats’ other TEs are only options in the deepest fantasy leagues. However, they shouldn’t be in the starting lineup and would only be in the starting lineup if Henry gets injured.
#2024-Fantasy-Football
