Drake Maye, Demario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk Fantasy Advice After Patriots' QB Change

The New England Patriots, mired in a 1-4 start, made the decision to hand the reins over to rookie quarterback Drake Maye this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, sending Jacoby Brissett to the bench.

The Patriots haven't exactly been a fountain overflowing for fantasy players this season, offering very few trustworthy starting options. Will that change with Maye under center?

Let's examine that question.

Drake Maye

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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 06: Quarterback Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots warms up prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on October 06, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

We'll start with the rookie quarterback himself. More than likely, he isn't going to be a safe choice for fantasy players.

It's tough sledding for rookie quarterbacks in general, and especially ones with the lack of playmakers that New England has on offer. Yes, Jayden Daniels is currently the No. 2 quarterback in fantasy, and C.J. Stroud finished last season at No. 9.

But Bryce Young was a disaster last season, Anthony Richardson saw injuries cut his season short and Will Levis was choppy once he was handed the starting reins.

This season, Daniels is popping off, but Bo Nix is QB18 and Caleb Williams is QB21. And if Maye looked like a player ready to instantly dominate, wouldn't he have started the season atop New England's depth chart?

Perhaps the Pats wanted to protect him from a shoddy offensive line and a lack of weapons. If that was solely the case, however, they probably wouldn't be changing their tune just five weeks into the season. That means Maye has at least shown progress, while Brissett has been rough.

But the waters will probably be choppy with the rookie, making him a player worth a speculative stash in deeper leagues. More than likely, however, he won't be a top-20 player the rest of the way at the position.

Demario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk and Hunter Henry

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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 06: DeMario Douglas #3 of the New England Patriots dives with the ball during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on October 06, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

Brissett has been poor enough that New England's main pass-catchers should see a bump across the board, although none are elite options. Demario Douglas has posted double-digit outings in PPR formats in two of the past three games, but you're still talking about a middle-of-the-road player catching passes from a rookie quarterback who will be trying to survive behind a shoddy offensive line.

He's a WR4 at the moment, with flex upside if Maye adjusts quickly to the starting role.

Ja'Lynn Polk is in basically the same boat. He should get a slight bump, but it's really tough to trust anybody in this passing game at the moment. His ceiling is probably WR4, though he's a player worth monitoring.

Finally, Hunter Henry could end up being something of a security blanket for Maye as a dump-off option or target over the middle. One positive note is that Henry is currently the TE18 without finding the end zone this season, with his production coming solely from his 16 catches for 180 yards on 25 targets.

The concerning part is that eight of those catches, 109 of those yards and 12 of those targets came in Week 2 alone. Nearly half of his production this season came in one game. He's a low-end TE2 option and a decent enough lottery ticket when the bye week hits for your starter.

Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson

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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 6: Rhamondre Stevenson #38 of the New England Patriots reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on October 6, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

The Patriots would be wise to continue leaning on the run game, meaning the fumble-prone Rhamondre Stevenson should continue seeing a healthy workload.

Despite head coach Jerod Mayo Sr. saying that Antonio Gibson would be the starter in Week 5 due to Stevenson's ball-security issues, it was Stevenson who rushed 12 times for 89 yards and a touchdown, while Gibson only had six carries for 52 yards. Stevenson also had four catches on the day, compared to just one for Gibson.

It's clear that the Patriots believe Stevenson is the better, more productive player. He remains an RB2 consideration, while Gibson is an RB4 with flex upside if Stevenson continues to struggle securing the rock.