2026 Team Outlook: New England Patriots

WR Efton Chism, NE - Not Draft Worthy

Chism arrived in the NFL with a decorated resume from Eastern Washington (the same program that shaped Cooper Kupp). He spent five seasons in college, leading to 346 catches, 3,852 yards, and 37 touchdowns. His final year was exceptional: 120 catches for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns in just 12 games, breaking the school's single- season catch record previously held by Kupp himself. The physical profile, though, raises questions. At 5'10" and 195 lbs. with an estimated 4.7 40-yard dash, Chism isn't built to threaten defenses vertically. What he offers instead is quickness, vision, and surprising physicality after the catch. He's elusive enough to make defenders miss and strong enough to break tackles in tight spaces. The concern is winning at the line of scrimmage against press-heavy NFL corners. His ceiling in any given game will likely be capped by how many yards he can manufacture after contact, since he won't be outrunning many defenders at the second level of a defense.

Early returns were encouraging. Chism was sharp in the first two preseason games of 2025 (6/50/1 and 6/71/1 on 14 targets), but New England kept him off the field for much of his rookie regular season, limiting him to just 10 games. On four targets, he caught all four for 95 yards and a touchdown, with his best moment coming in Week 17 (2/40/1). Fantasy Outlook: Chism is a player to follow, and he could quickly jump up the wide receivers’ depth chart in his second season. His slot profile fits what New England has featured over time with Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator.

2. QB Drake Maye, NE - Stud (low risk)

In his second year in the NFL, Maye finished third in fantasy points (406.90) in four-point passing touchdown leagues. He had a floor of 20.00 fantasy points in 14 of his 20 starts (including the playoffs), with his best value coming in five games (28.60, 29.85, 30.10, 29.50, and 35.00), four of which came on the road. Maye went 9-0 away from home before losing a neutral-site game in the Super Bowl. He passed for over 300 yards in only one contest (380/2) while posting three combined touchdowns in six games. His floor game (14.85 Teams RATT YDS Run% ATT YDS Pass% Plays Yards New England Patriots 494 2191 0.496 502 4469 0.504 996 6660

fantasy points) came in Week 5 in Buffalo when Maye failed to score. He had two TDs or more in 70% of his starts. Maye led the NFL in completion rate (72.0%), yards per pass attempt (8.9), and quarterback rating (113.5) while averaging 28.9 passes per game in the regular season. In the offseason, the Patriots didn’t add any significant upgrades to their receiving corps. They signed WR Romeo Doubs to help move the changes while drafting TE Eli Randon late in the third round (3.31). New England didn’t bring back WR Stefon Diggs, and second TE Austin Hooper signed with the Falcons. Maye’s best help this year should come from a longer passing window. New England signed G Alijah Vera-Tucker to a three-year deal for $42 million. The Patriots selected T Caleb Lomu with the 28th overall pick, which may lead to Will Campbell being downgraded to right tackle. Fantasy Outlook: New England wants to run the ball, and Maye will be helpful in this area (2024 – 54/421/2 over 13 games and 2025 – 103/450/4). He makes good decisions, which allow him to get more out of his receiving talent. The Patriots gained a star at wide receiver (208/2,845/19 on 283 targets in 2025) after acquiring A.J. Brown, giving Maye a significant upgrade in big-play and scoring ability. In the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship, Maye is the fourth quarterback off the board with a sixth- round ADP (65). My upgraded thought is about 4,800 combined yards with two touchdowns a game, putting Maye on pace to deliver a top-five quarterback season. His ceiling is tied to his passing window. If the Patriots can shave off about 15 sacks, their star quarterback could reach 5,000 combined yards with a run at 40 touchdowns and the number one quarterback ranking for the year.

10. WR A.J. Brown, NE - Stud (low risk)

After months of discussion, the Patriots finally pushed the Brown trade deal with the Philadelphia Eagles into the end zone. New England gained a top-tier WR1 while sending two draft picks to Philadelphia (2028 first and 2027 fifth). Philadelphia's pass-catchers benefited from a dramatic shift in offensive philosophy in 2022, with the Eagles targeting wide receivers 81 more times than the previous year. Brown was the primary beneficiary, setting career marks in receptions (88), receiving yards (1,496), and targets (145) while hauling in 11 touchdowns and averaging an eye-catching 17.0 yards per catch. He turned 26.1% of his receptions into gains of 20 or more yards, with five standout performances driving much of the production (10/155, 6/156/3, 8/119/2, 9/181, and 6/103). For context, he averaged 8.5 targets in his final Tennessee season, a 23.1% usage jump in his first season with the Eagles. Brown stumbled out of the gate in 2024 with back-to-back quiet outings (7/79 and 4/29) before turning in one of the more dominant seven-game stretches a receiver can have, posting lines of 9/131, 9/175/2, 6/127, 7/131, 10/137/1, 8/130/2, and 7/66/1. He averaged 16.0 yards per catch and 25.96 PPR fantasy points across that run. The connection with Jalen Hurts cooled considerably over the final eight games, with only four matchups worth noting (5/37/1, 8/114, 9/94, and 6/80). Brown logged just 12 snaps in Week 18 and sat out the playoff opener with a knee issue, finishing fifth among wide receivers in PPR scoring at 291.60 points. Coming off back-to-back top-six finishes at the position, Brown opened up 2024 on the shelf with a hamstring injury, missing three games. When healthy, he showed flashes — a 5/119/1 debut, two productive follow-ups (6/116/1 and 5/89/1), and four quality games down the stretch (5/109, 6/109/1, 8/110/1, and 8/97/1). He also posted a floor of double-digit fantasy points in four additional contests (5/84, 5/65, 5/66,

and 3/36/1). Philadelphia held him out in Week 18, and his postseason highlight was a 6/96/1 effort in a shootout against Washington, a performance made more impressive given he was battling a knee injury over the final two months of the year. His missed time led to Brown finishing 20th in PPR scoring (216.90) while ranking much higher in fantasy points per game (16.68 – 5th) for wideouts. Consistency was an issue for Brown in 2025, highlighted by six games with fewer than 8.00 fantasy points (including the postseason). He sat out Week 18 again while missing Week 8 with a hamstring issue. When at his best, the Eagles’ top wideout scored over 20.00 PPR fantasy points in four matchups (6/109/1, 4/121/2, 8/110/1, and 10/132/2). From Week 11 to Week 16, Philadelphia gave him double-digit targets in five games (11, 10, 12, 13, 2, and 12). Only 11 wide receivers outscored Brown for the season (220.30 fantasy points) across his 15 starts (14.69 FPPG). Fantasy Outlook: Over 62 games with Philadelphia, Brown averaged 5.5 catches for 81 yards and 0.52 touchdowns on 8.4 targets per game, which breaks down to 16.72 FPPG in PPR formats. Last season, New England threw the ball 502 times, compared to 497 by the Eagles, but they dominated Philadelphia in yards per pass attempt (8.9 to 7.1). The Patriots’ wideouts ranked 5th in 2025 (208/2,893/19 in 283 targets) with eight fewer targets than the Eagles (190/2,409/12 on 291 targets). Brown slipped into an excellent opportunity with Drake Maye, who excelled in many big passing plays last year. In early June, in the National Fantasy Football, Brown is the eighth wide receiver drafted with an ADP of 20 (min – 13 and max – 26). New England has wide receiver depth, but their newly acquired target will command plenty of targets. Let’s go 85 catches for 1,300 yards and 10 scores with one missed game.

15. TE Hunter Henry, NE - Sleeper (undervalued)

Henry was the focal point of New England's passing game in 2024, pacing the team in receiving yards (674) and targets (97) while tying for the lead in catches (66). His volume at TE translated into the fantasy market ranks him 12th in PPR scoring (145.40 points). He cracked double-digit fantasy points in seven matchups (8/109, 3/41/1, 8/92, 7/56, 6/63, 7/75, 4/39/1) and saw seven or more targets in seven of his 16 starts. In his fifth season with New England, Henry bumped to ninth in fantasy points (178.80) in PPR formats. He caught 69 of his 102 targets across 21 games for 880 yards and eight touchdowns, with two impact showings (8/90/2 and 7/115/1). Henry played well from Week 16 to Week 19 (15.50, 13.90, 10.60, and 15.40 fantasy points). He scored over 10.00 fantasy points in three other matchups (4/66, 2/39/1, and 4/73). Fantasy Outlook: In the early 2026 fantasy football draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship, Henry ranks 19th at tight end with an ADP of 153. His decline in value shows strength in the tight end pool, which will have a lot of movement over the summer once the fantasy market catches up on its player research. Henry has a 60/650/6 outlook, with a chance to average five targets per game. Last year, he has career high of 11 catches of 20 yards or more.

19. PK Andres Borregales, NE - Deep-league Only

New England added Borregales in the sixth round of the 2025 draft. He was a reliable presence in college, converting 74 of 86 field goal attempts (86.0%) and hitting all 62 of his extra points. His best season came in his final year, when he went 18-for-19 in field goal tries. From 50 yards and beyond, he was 3-for-6 across his career, making him serviceable but unproven as a long-range weapon. Patriots fans were extremely happy with Borregales’ success in his rookie season. He made 31 of his 38 field goals over 21 games, highlighted by his success from long range (4-for-5 from 50 yards or more). He missed too many kicks (five over 12 tries) from 40-to-49 yards while adding two errant extra points (62 chances). Fantasy Outlook: Borregales ranked 11th in fantasy points (155.50) at the kicker position. He scored double-digit fantasy points in eight of his 21 matchups. Last year, New England scored 58 touchdowns in the regular season while creating 32 field goal chances. The high-stakes fantasy market expected him to be a top-12 kicker again in 2026.

24. RB TreVeyon Henderson, NE - Solid/Safe Pick

Henderson was a big ADP mover late in last year’s draft season. Seven games into his NFL career, he left fantasy drafters wondering what his pre-draft excitement was. Over this span, the Patriots’ rookie back gained 252 combined yards with one touchdown and 16 catches on 59 touches, leading to 6.74 fantasy points per game in PPR formats. After an empty two-touch game for five yards, Henderson flashed in Week 8 (10/75), followed by a winning run over five matchups (76/397/4 with 16 catches for 100 yards and one touchdown on 92 touches) with Rhamondre Stevenson banged up. He had two impact fantasy games (28.00 and 32.30) in PPR formats. 3 2 93 0.263 630 0.19 6.77 125 2 New England Patriots

After another winning day in Week 15 (14/148/2 with two catches for 13 yards), Henderson was losing fantasy points over six (2.20, 8.20, 4.60, 3.50, 0.50, and 7.50) of his final seven matchups. He had a competitive opportunity in Week 17 (19/82) and Week 18 (13/53/2), but New England only gave him 41 touches over his other five matchups (121 combined yards with six catches and no touchdowns). Despite his up-and-down rookie campaign, Henderson finished 21st in running back scoring (207.20 fantasy points) in PPR leagues. He scored 43.6% of his fantasy points in three games, showcasing his explosiveness along with his downside when game flow doesn’t break his way. Fantasy Outlook: The key to Henderson seizing a more significant role in the Patriots’ run game will be his vision. His reads on opening holes weren’t on point last year, highlighted by 11 games with fewer than 8.00 fantasy points. He ranks 20th among running backs in early May in the NFFC with a much more favorable ADP (53) than last season. Henderson checks the explosive boxes needed to win overall championships, but the Patriots must give him enough touches over the first three months of the season to keep those fantasy teams in the playoff hunt. He finished the regular season in 2025 with 1,132 combined yards, 10 touchdowns, and 35 catches on 215 touches, which grades much better than the feeling when slipping him into starting lineups in many weeks. Henderson should have a natural progression in his second year in the NFL, suggesting closer to 250 touches with 1,400+ combined yards, 12 scores, and 40 catches.