Drake Maye Starting for Patriots | Fantasy Outlook for Standard and Dynasty Leagues
Analyzing Drake Maye's fantasy outlook in standard and dynasty leagues as he takes over the starting job for the Patriots.
It took a bit longer than most people expected, but the Drake Maye era in New England is about to begin.
Let’s take a look at Maye’s fantasy value in standard leagues, but mostly focus on his long-term outlook.
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The News
Maye was named the team’s starter for week 6. It will be the first game he’s started in his NFL career.
New England shocked Cincinnati in week 1, but has lost the last four games. The Patriots haven’t scored over 20 points in a game this season, and have only reached 20 points once with Jacoby Brissett serving as the quarterback.
It’s not just a Brissett problem, as the Patriots’ offense is devoid of talent. New England has topped 300 total yards just once, while finishing under 220 yards two times.
The Patriots haven’t reached 150 passing yards in a contest yet, while only going above 125 yards twice. It’s just been ugly all around for the Patriots’ offense.
Brissett has completed 58.5% of his passes (79-of-135) for 696 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He’s added 51 yards on 12 rushes.
Maye has appeared in one game so far, playing 16 snaps against the Jets in week 3. He completed half of his eight passes for 22 yards, while adding 12 rushing yards on two attempts. Maye was sacked twice in his short time on the field.
Week 6 Outlook
Maye will go up against C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans this week. What looked like kind of a snoozefest for a game suddenly has some more appeal because of Maye.
It’s an average matchup on paper for Maye, as Houston’s defense allows opposing quarterbacks to score 17 points per week. QBs are averaging just 173.4 yards per game, which is the fourth-least amount overall. Houston does allow 31.8 rushing yards per game to QBs, and Maye could score a few points with his legs as a result.
Maye is projected for 11 fantasy points this week, which is 26th among QBs.
It’s always a risk to start a rookie quarterback in his NFL debut, but in a week where Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Sam Darnold and Tua Tagovailoa (if he was healthy) are on byes, Maye is definitely a player to consider. The average matchup also might be the best available to you.
I can’t tell you to add/start Maye without looking at your other available options. I have a feeling Maye will appear in this week’s QB start decision story, so check back for that!
Maye’s Dynasty Outlook
Maye has more fantasy appeal right now in deeper leagues, but he’s probably most valuable in dynasty leagues.
The 22-year-old was the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and that means he’s viewed as the next franchise quarterback for New England. He had a good two-year run with North Carolina in college before emerging as a top draft prospect.
His best season at UNC was in 2022, when he played in 14 games. He completed 66.2% of his passes for 4,321 yards (308.6 yards per game), 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Maye added 698 rushing yards and seven scores across 184 runs.
His 2023 season was a bit of a step back, but a lot of his numbers are lower because he played in 12 games overall. Maye completed 63.3% of his passes for 3,608 yards (300.7 yards per contest), 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He rushed for 449 yards and scored nine times across 112 attempts.
Maye isn’t the electrifying runner that Jayden Daniels is, but he was looked to as one of the best passers in the 2024 draft class. The rushing ability is there when plays break down, and that should help him become a good fantasy asset if he can develop into the franchise QB he’s hoping to become.
I loved Maye coming out of college, but did not like his landing spot. As I mentioned earlier, there’s a lot of holes on the Patriots’ offense, and while Maye could certainly elevate the level of play for several playmakers, that’s a big ask of a young QB. Of the top three picks (Caleb Williams and Daniels), Maye pretty easily is on the worst offense of the three.
Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson are a nice 1-2 punch out of the backfield, but there’s certainly several better backfields in the NFL. They could each see their fantasy values rise if Maye can keep defenses honest with his passing.
What I’m most worried about for Maye is the pass catchers around him.
Tight end Hunter Henry currently leads the team with 180 receiving yards. Demario Douglas is at 153 yards, while everyone else is below 90 yards.
Ja'Lynn Polk has 74 yards in his rookie season, while fellow rookie Javon Baker has only played six snaps.
K.J. Osborn and Kendrick Bourne have a little NFL experience, but also aren’t No. 1 options.
Tyquan Thornton has played 100 snaps this season, but is under 400 yards in his 24 NFL games. Kayshon Boutte hasn’t done much in his first six NFL games.
The team’s pass catcher room needs an overhaul, and it could come as early as next offseason. New England should have a ton of cap space, along with a pretty good draft pick.
That doesn’t help Maye now though. What I’m getting at is that I envision some struggles for Maye the rest of this season, but think the future is definitely brighter. While Maye could be a streaming option in standard leagues, I think it’s more likely that finishes as an average or worse fantasy quarterback most weeks.
At the same time, the experience he gains the rest of this season will be huge for his long-term development. As long as the offensive line can keep him upright and healthy, going through some tough times this season should work in Maye’s favor in the long run.
If you roster Maye in a dynasty league, you might be forced into starting him this season depending how deep your league is. It might not lead to big things, but the thing you need to do is have patience.
Trust in the Patriots’ front office that they found their franchise quarterback and will do whatever it takes moving forward to help him succeed. Whether that’s bringing in more playmakers, or stocking up the o-line, they are going to give Maye a chance to succeed.
If Maye gets hot this season with the talent around him, the future for him will be extremely bright. But even if he struggles at times, I wouldn’t fret too much. Let things run their course.
You likely spent a high-end rookie pick on Maye or drafted him as a secondary option in a dynasty startup draft. You don’t need to Maye to star right away probably. Have patience in the young quarterback and give him time to become a star.
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