Fantasy Football News

Patriots WR Mack Hollins will return to practice on Wednesday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Hollins has been on IR since injuring his calf in Week 4. He's eligible to return for Sunday's game vs. the Packers, but we'll need to watch how he progresses throughout the week. Hollins averaged 5.3 targets, 4.0 catches, and 52 yards over the first three games, running a route on 69% of pass plays. He's not an exciting fantasy option, but his return would help a Patriots WR corps dealing with injuries to A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.

Patriots QB Drake Maye made the most of limited passing volume in Sunday’s win over Miami, completing 16 of 20 attempts for 199 yards and 2 TDs. He also found the end zone as a runner for the third time in his past four outings.

Patriots WR A.J. Brown returned from a high ankle sprain to record 3 catches for 27 yards on 10 targets. The film might be even uglier than the box score suggests.

The Patriots will "likely" activate WR A.J. Brown from IR this afternoon, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Brown is about 5.5 weeks removed from a high-ankle sprain that was originally expected to cost him 6 weeks. He was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable. But Brown is evidently set to play against the Jets tomorrow. He'll carry more risk than usual coming off the injury but will be worth getting back into most fantasy lineups. We'll look for any reports on limited playing time for Brown. His return is a boost to the red-hot Drake Maye and makes New England's other pass catchers tough to trust in fantasy lineups.

Update: Brown has been activated from IR, putting him on track to play vs. the Jets.

Patriots QB Drake Maye went off for 374 yards and 4 TDs in Sunday's blowout win over the Raiders. He's the QB1 for Week 5 entering the Monday nighter.

Patriots QB Drake Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT in Sunday's 29-26 win over the Bills. He added 54 yards on 8 carries, including a 26-yard run. Maye spread the ball around, with four players catching passes of 20+ yards. The one blemish continues to be ball security: he fumbled 3 times and lost one.

The Patriots are placing WR A.J. Brown on IR, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. That knocks Brown out for at least the next 4 games, making Week 6 his earliest return.

Patriots WR A.J. Brown is expected to miss "at least" 4 weeks with his high-ankle sprain, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Patriots QB Drake Maye mustered just 178 yards with 1 TD and 3 INTs in Wednesday night's loss to the Seahawks. He tossed the game's opening score to a wide-open TE Eli Raridon from 2 yards out in the second quarter. But it was downhill from there. Maye's first INT came on an underthrown 50/50 ball to WR Romeo Doubs that got tipped and picked off by CB Nehemiah Pritchett. The second was a bad decision and throw into traffic over the middle of the field that was easily swiped by S Julian Love. The third was the most egregious. Down 3 points with 26 seconds left and the ball at Seattle's 16, Maye lofted a pass off his back foot to an obviously covered Mack Hollins. Credit CB Josh Jobe for an impressive INT, but it was an unacceptable decision from Maye considering the situation.

Patriots WR A.J. Brown has continued to find success as the newest member of the Drake Maye passing attack, catching all 4 targets thrown his way on the ninth day of training camp, per The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan. That comes just a day after he dislocated his left thumb.

The Patriots plan to increase their offensive pace this season, which will be their second under OC Josh McDaniels (for his latest stint, that is). Last year's offense ranked third-slowest in the league at 30.6 seconds per play. They ranked 24th in 2021 (29.6 seconds), McDaniels' previous most recent Pats season. Before that came a No. 20 ranking in 2020 after eight straight seasons of finishing inside the top 12:

• 2019: 27.9 (11th)
• 2018: 28.0 (seventh)
• 2017: 26.8 (third)
• 2016: 27.9 (12th)
• 2015: 27.2 (eighth)
• 2014: 26.6 (third)
• 2013: 25.8 (fifth)
• 2012: 24.8 (first)

The Eagles are finally sending WR A.J. Brown to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, according to multiple reports. The deal is pending a Brown physical, of course, but has been expected for months now. ESPN reports that waiting until June 1 allowed the Eagles to split Brown’s $40 million cap hit between this year and next. (NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo calls it $43 million, with $27 million of that on the team’s 2027 cap.)