Fantasy Football News

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.

The Patriots traded WR Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans for S Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick, according to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. The Texans were in need of a shot in the arm at the position after WR Jayden Higgins suffered a torn ACL last week. Other WRs Jaylin Noel and Tank Dell have also missed most of training camp. Boutte had been rumored to be on the trade block since before training camp and was expendable after the Patriots brought in AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs.

Patriots WR Kyle Williams has been buried on the depth chart early in training camp, according to The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan. Williams got no work with QB Drake Maye on Tuesday, per Callahan, trailing WRs A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Efton Chism, and Demario Douglas. Woof.

According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte is currently not attending voluntary workouts with the Patriots, instead working out away from the facility. This could be an indication that trade rumors from SI’s Albert Breer about Boutte being available for a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick could be accurate. WR A.J. Brown is still expected to be traded from the Eagles to the Patriots after June 1st according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, which could push Boutte out with WRs Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III completing the current WR room.

The Patriots will be releasing WR Stefon Diggs when the new league year begins next week. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports that the veteran WR is due $1.7 million in fully guaranteed money for the coming season, with another $6 million set to become guaranteed next week if he remained on the roster.

Patriots WRs Kayshon Boutte (concussion) and Mack Hollins (abdomen) are out for Sunday’s game vs. the Jets. That strips the offense of two of its top three WRs in targets. And Demario Douglas, who’s fourth among New England WRs in targets, is questionable with a hamstring injury. That leaves Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams as the top two healthy WRs. Diggs is much more likely to get a full helping of routes in this one, making him a safer fantasy bet. We’d try not to use Williams in season-long leagues, but he’s an intriguing flier in daily contests. TE Hunter Henry could also see more volume this weekend.

Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) is out for Thursday night's game vs. the Jets. He was limited in practice on the short week, so we're tentatively expecting Boutte back for Week 12. WRs Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams saw the biggest bumps in routes and targets with Boutte out last Sunday.

Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Buccaneers. WR Kyle Williams soaked up most of his snaps in the second half of last week’s contest but finished catch-less on one target. The rookie could be a flier in daily contests but shouldn’t be in season-long fantasy lineups.

Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) won't practice on Wednesday, according to HC Mike Vrabel. Vrabel called Boutte "day to day" earlier this week, so the hamstring injury doesn't sound serious. But we're not expecting Boutte to play vs. the Buccaneers on Sunday. Rookie WR Kyle Williams soaked up most of his snaps in the second half of last week's game but finished catch-less.

Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte is "day to day" with the hamstring injury he suffered in the Week 9 win over the Falcons, HC Mike Vrabel said Monday. It sounds like Boutte dodged a serious injury, but Vrabel also said that he won't practice early this week. Fantasy managers should not be counting on Boutte playing vs. the Buccaneers this weekend, but we'll keep tabs on his progress. Rookie WR Kyle Williams is the favorite to soak up most of Boutte's snaps if he sits.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that Patriots WR Stefon Diggs has gained clearance for "full participation" at training camp. Diggs, of course, is working back from an October ACL tear. But New England checked out the knee before guaranteeing $25 million on Diggs' three-year deal in late March.

The Patriots obviously knew when they signed WR Stefon Diggs that he was coming off a right ACL tear in October. ESPN's Mike Reiss reported shortly before that signing that Diggs was "ahead of schedule." Chad Graff of The Athletic, however, says Diggs' recovery timeline "could cause him to miss the start of the season."

The Patriots selected Washington State WR Kyle Williams with the 69th pick of Round 3 in the 2025 NFL Draft. His 4.4 speed makes him a deep threat, specializing in corner and post routes. Williams spent his first three seasons at UNLV before transferring to Washington State due to coaching changes. He compiled 131 catches, 2,043 receiving yards, and 20 TDs over the past two seasons. He had a 6.33 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) based on his predraft testing. He also ranked 12th among Combine WRs in 2024 Target Share at 26.2%, and 12th among those WRs in PFF Receiving Grade with am 82.1. He is currently 22 years old with a Breakout Age of 19.1. He ranked 20th among WRs in our Draft Sharks predraft Rookie Model scoring a 6.18. Our Comp for him in our Rookie Guide is Markus Wheaton. He did struggle at the Senior Bowl, but the upside and draft capital for Williams gives him a chance to make a fantasy impact.