Fantasy Football Player Notes

TreVeyon Henderson probably isn't cut out to be an NFL workhorse. He never had more than 183 carries in any of his three seasons at Ohio State. Henderson split work with Quinshon Judkins in his final college season and didn't have more than 12 carries in any game last fall. But Henderson is a sensational playmaker capable of making hay on 12-15 touches a game à la James Cook. Henderson has big-time speed, sports car acceleration and quick feet. He changes direction with minimal loss of speed, and his cutbacks are jaw-dropping. He's useful in the passing game (11.1 yards per catch over his college career) and deadly on screens. After taking Henderson in the second round of the draft, the Patriots are likely to use him as part of a tag team with Rhamondre Stevenson. But with Henderson's playmaking ability, he's the favorite to lead New England in carries this season.

Stefon Diggs tore his ACL last October, which is why he's a relative afterthought in early 2025 fantasy drafts, his ADP sitting in WR4 range. Diggs says he's ahead of schedule in his recovery and is trying to be ready for Week 1. Dr. Deepak Chona, a well-regarded sports injury analyst, believes there's a two-thirds chance that Diggs will be good to go for Week 1, and that Diggs will be at 90% of full capacity about a month into the season. Diggs is immediately going to become Drake Maye's No. 1 receiver in New England. Before his injury-shortened 2024 season, Diggs had topped 1,000 yards in six straight seasons, and he was on a 1,000-yard pace when he got hurt last year. He may not be the same player he was in 2020, when he had 127 catches and 1535 yards and helped Josh Allen make the jump from promising young QB to superstar, but can he be a top-25 receiver? I believe he can be, which is why Diggs is one of my favorite draft targets.

Rhamondre Stevenson may have peaked with his 1,040-yard rushing season in 2022. He missed five games in 2023, and his 2024 season was a disappointment. Stevenson averaged a career-low 3.9 yards per carry last season, and his seven fumbles cost him some playing time. Now, the Patriots have added playmaking RB TreVeyon Henderson, a second-round draft pick. A 50/50 workload split might be the best Stevenson investors could hope for in 2025.

Drake Maye made the best he could last year with a pitiful supporting cast. His offensive line was patchwork at best, and arguably, his top two pass catchers were Hunter Henry and Demario Douglas. Despite all of this, in the nine games Maye played at least 90% of the snaps, he averaged 18.7 fantasy points per game, which would have placed him as the QB11 last year. In those contests, he averaged. 36.8 rushing yards per game, which would have ranked fifth among quarterbacks last season. Overall, among 40 qualifying quarterbacks, Maye ranked 27th in yards per attempt, 17th in CPOE, 11th in highly accurate throw rate, 18th in hero throw rate, and had the 13th-highest turnover-worthy throw rate (per Fantasy Points Data). The rushing output will factor in heavily this season for Maye and his fantasy outlook. The additions of Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, offensive line help, and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels can only help Maye in 2025. He's a strong QB2 who could finish as a QB1 this season.

In his ninth NFL season, Hunter Henry established new career highs in targets (97), catches (66) and receiving yards (674). He scored only two touchdowns but still managed to finish TE12 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring. Henry quickly developed chemistry with rookie QB Drake Maye, who leaned heavily on the veteran tight end. Maye could take a step forward in his second season, and while the Patriots added WR Stefon Diggs in free agency and WR Kyle Williams via the draft, New England isn't exactly loaded at wide receiver, so Henry should still have ample opportunity to contribute. If Henry has better luck with touchdowns in 2025, he has a chance to return low-end TE1 value.

Kyle Williams enters the NFL as one of the most dynamic rookie wide receivers in the 2025 class. After a breakout 2024 season at Washington State (1,200+ yards, 14 TDs, 34% dominator rating), Williams showcased elite YAC skills (1st in class) and vertical playmaking (3rd in deep-ball catches, 58.3% success rate on 20+ yard throws). His tape backs it up - including burning Travis Hunter on one notable route - and his Tyler Lockett-style game makes him a strong fit with rookie QB Drake Maye in New England. With Stefon Diggs on a one-year prove-it deal and coming off a torn ACL, Williams has a legitimate shot to emerge as the Patriots' go-to target in Year 1.

Demario Douglas was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise lackluster 2024 Patriots receiving corps. The rookie wideout posted a 66-621-3 receiving line, finishing as the WR52 overall and WR69 in points per game (6.7). He showed consistency throughout the year, catching at least two passes in every game but one, and flashed real upside in Week 6 - with 6 catches for 92 yards and a TD against Houston in Drake Maye's first NFL start. Douglas carved out a consistent role as New England's primary slot receiver, and that role should remain intact heading into 2025. The Patriots have since revamped the WR room, trading for Stefon Diggs and drafting Kyle Williams, but Douglas could still be the de facto WR1 early in the season if Diggs isn't ready as he recovers from a torn ACL.

Against a brutal schedule, New England ranked 30th in takeaways in 2024. They were a straight-up dumpster fire. But with Mike Vrabel taking over as head coach, we should expect a completely different unit in 2025. They revamped the defense in free agency and boast the second-easiest schedule in the NFL on forecasted Vegas win totals.
They open against the Raiders at home, followed by an early road trip to Miami and then back-to-back home games versus Carolina and Pittsburgh. The Pats D/ST is probably a strong bet to be a reliable unit, given the ease of schedule in addition to the personnel improvements they made this offseason. The Pats were 13th in passes defended last season, but they came away with just 7 interceptions (bottom-5). They also ranked 27th in opponent fumbles. Turnovers should regress in their favor in 2025.