The New England Patriots started the season with an impressive win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but since then the gloom that most had predicted preseason has set in. The Patriots are 3-10, bottom of the AFC East and on a three-game losing streak.
After scoring the second-fewest points in the NFL this season with 221, behind only the New York Giants, New England’s weapons are risky starts in fantasy. However, they still have value and could be the difference between winning and losing.
Week 15 sees the Pats take on the 6-7 Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium, so let’s take a look at their prospects in fantasy football:
Patriots’ Week 15 Fantasy Outlooks & Predictions
QB: Drake Maye
While 2024 was predicted to be a rough rebuilding year for New England, the future could be bright under QB Drake Maye. Maye has the rushing ability to go big in fantasy, but at the moment he is not throwing or rushing for enough TDs to put him in that elite tier of unquestionable starters every week.
Maye has thrown for 1,696 yards, 11 TDs and 8 INTs across 9 games (8 starts), adding 345 yards and a TD on the ground for 15.5 fantasy points per game. The Cardinals are conceding an average of 15.62 fantasy points per game to QBs, so this feels like a reasonable expectation for Drake Maye in Week 15.
Drake Maye’s points range: 12-23; Prediction: 15.5
RBs: Rhamondre Stevenson & Antonio Gibson
The Patriots’ rushing game stands 13th in the NFL with 1,554 yards in 2024, but they only have 8 rushing TDs (which ranks 27th). Rhamondre Stevenson is the only New England RB you can start in fantasy, as while Antonio Gibson got a TD before the bye week, that was his first of the season.
The Cardinals are allowing 24.70 FPPG to RBs, and you would imagine the Patriots will get most of their rushing yards from Stevenson, with Drake Maye hitting a similar number to Gibson. As the Cardinals are 26th against RBs in 2024, Stevenson is a good start, but Gibson is a gamble that only teams in very big leagues or with extreme injury crises should consider.
Rhamondre Stevenson’s points range: 3-25 ; Prediction: 13 (HPPR)
Antonio Gibson’s points range: 1-13; Prediction: 5
Other fantasy outlooks and predictions you might like: Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers.
WRs: DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte & Kendrick Bourne
New England’s receiver corps is not seeing enough volume or TDs in 2024 to be safe starts. Maye has yet to record a 300-yard passing game in the NFL and his tendency to find TEs Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper make DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne high-risk, low-reward options.
The Cardinals D is allowing an average of 32.21 FPPG to WRs, but it is difficult to predict where those points would theoretically land with New England.
Douglas has broken 10 points just twice in HPPR leagues this season, and while his 18.20 points in Week 6 were impressive, his four weeks of 2 points are very concerning. Boutte and Bourne are having worse seasons than Douglas statistically, so neither of these should be in your fantasy team.
DeMario Douglas’s points range: 2-19; Prediction: 8
Kayshon Boutte’s points range: 1-14; Prediction: 5
Kendrick Bourne’s points range: 1-16; Prediction: 4
TEs: Hunter Henry & Austin Hooper
New England’s offense utilizes its TEs to greater effect than its receivers, with both Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper seeing some good displays this season. Picking between them is tough, as either could be a good start this week. Henry has six games breaking 9 points, but his ceiling is quite low due to his lack of TDs (1 in 2024).
Meanwhile, Hooper started the season poorly but has recorded TDs in his last two games, scoring 13.9 and 14.1 points respectively. If you are to start one, probably stick with the hot hand and go with Austin Hooper.
Hunter Henry’s points range: 1-14; Prediction: 6
Austin Hooper’s points range: 1-14; Prediction: 8.5
Also read: Week 15 Defense Rankings & Streamers ft. Cardinals, Falcons & Commanders