After a tough Super Bowl loss, the New England Patriots wasted no time making changes. They rebuilt their passing game by bringing in top-level talent. It is surprising to remember that New England started last season with low expectations. Last offseason, they brought in Diggs as a true No. 1 target for Maye and drafted the explosive RB TreVeyon Henderson in the second round. These moves were meant to help them transition smoothly, but instead, they had an incredible run and finished the regular season 14-3.
After a great season together, the Patriots moved on from Stefon Diggs and traded for A.J. Brown, the star receiver from Philadelphia. Diggs was reliable, but he didn’t offer the big-play ability on the outside.
Throw in the free-agency signing of Romeo Doubs, and the front office just handed Drake Maye a brand-new arsenal.
Projecting the 2026 Passing Game
| Drake Maye 2026 Passing Projections | |
| Pass Attempts | 503.9 |
| Completions | 346 |
| Passing Yds | 4507 |
| Passing TDs | 31 |
These numbers come directly from Baller’s Premium Projections in the Ultimate Draft Kit and major sports books.
In just his second year, Drake Maye absolutely tore it up, finishing as the overall QB2 in fantasy and dropping a massive 21.1 PPG. He was ridiculously efficient through the air last season, leading the entire NFL in true completion percentage (77.3%), yds per attempt (8.9), and QBR (77.2). He finished second in MVP voting after throwing for 4,394 yds, 31 TDs, and just eight picks. Maye also ranked second in fantasy points per dropback and fourth in deep ball completion percentage (50.0%). Talk about a massive breakout compared to the 14.4 PPG he put up during his rookie season! Even though the season ended a game short of a ring, it clearly felt like the dawn of a new era in Foxborough.
The Patriots also upgraded their OL this offseason with the addition of Alijah Vera-Tucker, drafted Caleb Lomu, and moved Jared Wilson back to his natural position (C). New England also added Alijah Vera-Tucker to its offensive line, as well as Caleb Lomu with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, to give Maye more protection in the pocket
2026 Patriots Individual Target Projections
New England traded a future first-round pick for All-Pro A.J. Brown, giving Drake Maye a bona fide WR1. The team also added outside WR Romeo Doubs to the mix to further help Maye’s development. Expect Doubs to be an every-down player as a dependable blocker and red zone presence. If you were a Kyle Williams truther, it was a bit of a disappointing rookie campaign, as he was never really able to get on the field over those names. The Patriots had the easiest schedule in 2025, and that has flipped as the Patriots now have the No. 12-rated schedule in 2026. The quality of opponents and game flow will shift as the Patriots will be in closer-margin games, which will impact the game script.
AJ Brown
92 receptions | 1,168 yds | 8 TDs | 12.3 Fantasy PPG
A.J. Brown is officially joining New England, finally giving the Patriots the top receiver they have needed. Some called his 2025 season a “down” year, but even in a run-heavy Eagles offense that limited his production and dropped his yards per catch to a career-low 12.9, he still put up strong numbers. He finished with 78 catches, 1,003 yds, and seven TDs, marking his sixth straight 1,000-yd season and maintaining over 2.0 yds per route run for the seventh year in a row. Frustration in Philadelphia made his departure likely, and a big trade package with a 2028 first-rounder and a 2027 fifth-rounder brings him to New England, where he will reunite with coach Mike Vrabel.
At 28, Brown is a big upgrade for a Patriots passing game that ranked fifth in the league, a huge improvement from the Eagles’ 27th-ranked unit. He will be a reliable target for Drake Maye, using his size to win matchups and make big plays. Although injuries have kept him from playing full seasons recently, he now joins one of the best fantasy situations of his career. The injury risk is still there, which is why the Rams passed on him, but it is more of a long-term issue. With a fresh start in a high-volume offense, Brown should be back in the conversation as a top fantasy receiver for 2026.
Romeo Doubs
61 receptions | 810 yds | 6 TDs | 8.3 Fantasy PPG
Before the blockbuster A.J. Brown trade blew the doors off New England, Romeo Doubs was the absolute talk of the town. The Pats made a massive splash by trading for the former Packer and locking him up with a lucrative four-year, $68 million contract ($39 million guaranteed) after he posted career highs in Green Bay last season with 55 catches, 724 yds, and six TDs. He is a precise route runner with strong hands who consistently moves the chains. Best of all for fantasy managers, Doubs is set for a massive volume boost simply by escaping a Packers team that ranked a sluggish 30th in neutral passing rate and joining a Patriots offense that ranked ninth.
Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
DeMario Douglas
34 receptions | 480 yds | 3 TDs | 5.6 Fantasy PPG
DeMario “Pop” Douglas is a human highlight reel playing for a new contract, with insane athletic upside and already looking totally in sync with Drake Maye. Now, Douglas definitely has some roadblocks ahead. Josh McDaniels loves his big-bodied receivers, which is why he tanked Douglas’s snap share to under 30% last year. Plus, the front office did not exactly make things easier by trading for A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.
Kayshon Boutte
31 receptions | 350 yds | 2 TDs | 4.3 Fantasy PPG
Kayshon Boutte is a player to monitor through training camp. I believe the team has plans to trade him after acquiring A.J. Brown. As the #3 or #4 option for the Patriots, Boutte enters a contract year in which he needs to “secure the bag.” If the Patriots decide to do right by him, he will probably be traded. However, as of this writing, Boutte is still a Patriot, so we carry on with his projections. Boutte has demonstrated the ability to stretch defenses vertically, attack contested catches, and produce explosive plays when given opportunities. The offense surrounding him is stronger than at any point in his professional career.
Kyle Williams
26 receptions | 316 yds | 1 TDs | 3.1 Fantasy PPG
This is a massive training camp for Kyle Williams as he fights to lock down a role before Week 1. After playing at 185 pounds last season, Williams focused heavily on his lower-body strength this summer, bulking up to 193 pounds. That added mass is intentional: it is designed to help him beat press coverage against elite corners and tack on extra yards after the catch. However, physical traits only go so far. Williams’ ultimate success hinges on improving his route consistency and building trust with Drake Maye. They looked visibly out of sync last year. Williams needs to prove he knows the playbook inside and out.
Mack Hollins
20 receptions | 244 yds | 1 TDs | 2.8 Fantasy PPG
Hollins was the team’s third-most targeted receiver last season with 65 targets, but if Kayshon Boutte remains in New England for next season, he is in danger of falling to fifth. A strong training camp for Hollins will remind the Patriots’ coaching staff of just how valuable he is to the team as a spark plug, as well as being their biggest WR at 6-foot-4.
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Hunter Henry
52 receptions | 625 yds | 5 TDs | 6.7 Fantasy PPG
Hunter Henry quietly put up a TE6 season last year, drawing a solid 87 targets right behind Stefon Diggs. Henry locked in as a key weapon for Drake Maye after a rock-solid 60-768-7 stat line in 2025. He always seems to get overlooked in drafts, making him the perfect, low-risk target to grab late or snag off waivers as a high-upside backup TE.
Fantasy Strategy & Verdict
AJ Brown: The Ballers have Brown as a trade-away candidate in the Dynasty Pass. It is not because they think he will have a bad season in 2026, but rather, we would prefer to maximize value after his NFL trade in the dynasty trade market a year early. A.J. Brown getting traded to the Patriots is super interesting depending on the type of fantasy league you play in.
- In dynasty: Since he is about to turn 29, his trade value just spiked. It is honestly a great time to cash out. If you can flip him for a promising young receiver and a first-round rookie pick, you should definitely pull the trigger.
- In redraft: Grab him with excitement if he is sitting there in the third round.
He finished as the WR10 last year in a pretty run-heavy Philly offense. The Patriots’ passing game should give him way more volume. That keeps his weekly ceiling crazy high, making him a total league-winner for single-season formats.
Romeo Doubs: With A.J. Brown now in New England, Doubs has become less of a focus. Currently, he is being drafted around WR48 in redraft leagues and WR52 in dynasty. Even though he is set to play every down as an outside receiver, most people see him as a bench option with some FLEX potential.
Last year, Doubs finished as the WR43 in fantasy points per game, pulling off five separate weekly finishes inside the top 25. Now he finds himself in one of the league’s high-octane offenses, yet he is actually being drafted later than his baseline numbers from last season. For what it is worth, the Ballers have him pegged right at WR45 in redraft, which pretty much matches his current ADP. I’m taking swings on Doubs in all formats.
DeMario Douglas: Douglas is definitely going to have his flash-in-the-pan moments within Josh McDaniels’ game-plan-specific offense, but unless you are playing in deep best-ball formats, he is pretty tough to trust for fantasy this year. The Ballers have him as a consensus WR69, but I am leaning a bit lower, sitting closer to Mike’s projection down at WR84.
The Other WRs (Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams, Mack Hollins): I wouldn’t waste any draft capital on the rest of the Patriots’ receiver room outside of A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and DeMario Douglas. Hunter Henry is locked in as Drake Maye‘s next go-to target, which means guys like Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams, and Mack Hollins are going to see a massive drop in utilization. I am completely out on all of them across every single format.
Hunter Henry/ Eli Raridon: As for Hunter Henry, he is heading into 2026 as a free agent. Since it’s already his 10th season, you aren’t going to get much for him in a dynasty trade, especially since the Patriots spent a third-round pick on rookie Eli Raridon this year. However, if you are contending, he is a cheap buy. For this season, Henry is completely slept on in drafts. He is a total low-risk bet you can grab super late or even scoop off the wire. The dude literally finished as the TE9 last year, and it is like nobody even noticed.
As for dynasty, I’m trying to stash Eli Raridon wherever I can. He has crazy athletic traits (an 88th-percentile Speed Score and an 84th-percentile Burst Score per PlayerProfiler). He is also coming off a 482-yd season at Notre Dame. The upside is definitely there. Just keep in mind he has zero redraft or best-ball value for this year.