Patriots QB Mac Jones threw for 316 yards and 3 TDs on 35-of-54 passing. He hit WR Kendrick Bourne for a pair of scores and TE Hunter Henry for the other. Jones also took just 2 sacks against a Philly D that racked up 70 last season. Overall, it was an impressive outing for a pass offense that stunk in 2022. Jones looks like at least a solid superflex play for a Week 2 home date with the Dolphins. Weeks 3 and 4 look tougher on the road against the Jets and Cowboys.

Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne led the team with 11 targets in Sunday's loss to the Eagles, catching 6 for 64 yards and 2 TDs. It helped that WR DeVante Parker was inactive, and that QB Mac Jones attempted 54 passes in the game. Five other Patriots drew 6 or 7 targets. Rookie Demario Douglas tied for second on the team with 7 targets, catching 4 for 40 yards. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster matched him in targets and receptions while tallying 33 yards. We'll see what target and playing-time distribution look like going forward, especially once Parker returns. Bourne gets an upside matchup with the Dolphins in Week 2 before tougher spots against the Jets and Cowboys the following two weeks. Don't be surprised if Bourne remains outside the top 36 in our WR rankings for Week 2, however. The veteran has had other splash weeks in his two Patriots seasons but hasn't been able to sustain production.

Patriots WR DeVante Parker (knee) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Eagles. That leaves JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne, and Demario Douglas as New England’s top three WRs. Smith-Schuster is a viable WR3 play. TE Hunter Henry could also see an extra target or two with Parker out.

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson (illness) is active for today’s game vs. the Eagles. He missed Friday's practice with a stomach bug but should be ready for his usual role today.

Patriots WR DeVante Parker (knee) is not expected to play vs. the Eagles today, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Parker was limited in practice all week and listed as questionable, but this one still comes as a surprise His absence would leave JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne as New England's top two WRs, with rookie Demario Douglas the likely No. 3. Smith-Schuster is the only viable Week 1 fantasy play.

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson (illness) "should play" vs. the Eagles today, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweets. Stevenson popped up on Friday's injury report but never seemed in danger of missing this one. He can stay in Week 1 fantasy lineups.

The Patriots released QB Matt Corral and elevated QB Bailey Zappe from the practice squad. So, after some early September shenanigans, Zappe is back at QB Mac Jones' backup.

Patriots WR DeVante Parker (knee) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Eagles. We're expecting Parker to play, but hopefully you're not counting on him in Week 1 fantasy lineups.

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson missed Friday's practice with an illness and is listed as questionable for this weekend's game vs. the Eagles. Stevenson is expected to play, according to The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. But you'll need to check back Sunday to confirm that he's active. Patriots-Eagles doesn't kick off until 4:25 pm ET, but we should get an update on Stevenson on Sunday morning.

Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton (shoulder) has been placed on IR. He'll miss at least the first four weeks of the season. The second-year receiver was sidelined during the spring with a soft-tissue injury and then hurt his shoulder in mid-August. He's not worth rostering in redraft. JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and Demario Douglas figure to open the season as New England's top four WRs.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted Tuesday that the Patriots have waived backup QB Bailey Zappe. The 2022 fourth-round pick appeared in four games last season (including two starts), compiling 65 completions on 92 attempts for 781 passing yards, 5 TDs, and 3 INTs. The team also cut rookie Malik Cunningham in a corresponding move, making the QB2 job in New England a totally wide-open spot. We'll be sure dynasty superflex managers in the loop once we learn who the backup to starter Mac Jones is.

Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton is a “candidate” for injured reserve, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Thornton hasn’t practiced since August 17, when he landed hard on his shoulder in a joint practice with Green Bay. Reiss didn't hint at a season-ending injury, but Thornton certainly comes with added risk. New England looks set to enter Week 1 with JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker as the top-2 WRs.

The Athletic's Chad Graff wrote recently that Patriots rookie WR Demario Douglas "might end up" as the team's WR3 after strong camp performances. The sixth-round pick from Liberty has received "more snaps with starters in recent practices" than incumbent wideout Tyquan Thornton, per Graff, and is reportedly a threat to diminish the playing time of veteran Kendrick Bourne. It isn't easy to make the case for Douglas in redraft leagues. We don't have much hope for the fantasy prospects of the Pats' pass-catchers in 2023. However, this news presents managers in dynasty leagues with an intriguing dart-throw candidate to target in a trade or off the waiver wire. Consider stashing Douglas on your bench or taxi squad.

Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald says Patriots rookie WR Kayshon Boutte is making a "late surge for a roster spot." That's a good way to encapsulate his current fantasy standing. We've seen other positive recent reports on Boutte's performance, including from Kyed. And the sixth-round pick started his college career with intriguing upside before being derailed by injury. That upside makes him worth a stash in dynasty leagues. But that he's fighting for a roster spot on a time with a questionable-to-weak WR corps should temper any excitement.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Mike Reiss tweeted that Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott saw "a notable uptick in work" in practice behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson. Reiss specified that Elliott received increased usage as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Granted, this is only one report. We don't want to overreact or make any big takeaways here. The former All-Pro saw a career-low 23 targets with the Cowboys last season and likely won't be too much of a threat to Stevenson in that department. That said, we'll keep an eye on future reports should Elliott continue being utilized as a pass-catcher in practice as it could cut into the point scoring ceiling of Stevenson. He fell a smidge in our PPR RB rankings following Zeke's signing, but we still feel confident Stevenson will be the clear RB1 in this offense. Check back for further updates as we get more information.

Patriots TE Mike Gesicki (shoulder) returned to practice on Tuesday. He wore a red, non-contact jersey. The former Dolphin isn’t someone we’re counting on for anything close to TE1 production. Hunter Henry, who made our list of undervalued fantasy football players, is the TE target in New England.

Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton missed Saturday night's preseason game with what's believed to be a shoulder injury. "He's doing fine. It's a week-to-week situation," a source told The Boston Globe's Christopher Price. Thornton can't afford the missed reps. He was sidelined for part of the spring with a soft-tissue injury and has been out-played by rookie WR Demario Douglas in camp. At this point, Thornton is well off the redraft fantasy radar. We'll let you know when he returns from this latest injury.

The Patriots are unsurprisingly happy so far to have RB Ezekiel Elliott on board. (Otherwise, why would they have signed him?) Coaches have praised his football intelligence and communication with new teammates. The most noteworthy comment, though, seems like OC Bill O'Brien telling ESPN's Mike Reiss, "I do think he's a three-down back." Elliott's receiving fell way off last year, from 2.8 receptions per game in 2021 to just 1.1 in 2022. He also saw the second-fewest pass-blocking reps of his career, according to Pro Football Focus, trailing only a 2017 season in which Elliott was suspended for six games. This might be a throwaway comment from O'Brien. We'd be shocked if New England actually treated Elliott like a challenger to Rhamondre Stevenson's pass-game snaps. But we'll also keep watching for specifics on the new old guy's role. There remains plenty of separation between Stevenson and Elliott in our 2023 PPR rankings.

Patriots TE Mike Gesicki suffered a "mild" dislocated shoulder in Monday's practice, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "While nothing is given, the hope is he’s back for Week 1 despite the AC joint injury," Rapoport adds. We're not adjusting Gesicki's projections for now but will keep a close eye on his recovery from this injury.

The Patriots are set to sign RB Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year deal worth "up to" $6 million, NFL Network reports. We'll see about the actual details of the contract but doubt the base value is anywhere close to $6 million. Elliott's name is much bigger than his game at this point. The 28-year-old averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry last season, ranking 43rd among 48 qualifiers in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. His usage and production plummeted in the passing game, too. Elliott caught just 17 of 23 targets for 92 yards (5.4 YPC) and 0 TDs. The Patriots have been flirting with free-agent RBs for a while now -- seemingly in large part because depth RBs Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris have failed to emerge. The Elliott signing is more about those guys than lead RB Rhamondre Stevenson. Zeke's arrival adds some risk to Stevenson's 2023 fantasy outlook. But Stevenson was more effective by basically any metric last year -- as a runner and pass-catcher -- and should remain the Patriots' clear backfield leader. Elliott looks more like a Stevenson handcuff than standalone fantasy option. But we'll keep an eye on New England's plans.

Update: Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the deal carries $3 million in base salary, $1 million in signing bonus, and incentives that can take it to $6 million.