The New England Patriots will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Patriots skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Drake Maye, QB
Drake Maye is pretty clearly a fantasy asset in the making, but his supporting cast isn’t on par with that of a Jayden Daniels, so there’s no need to take on this level of risk for marginal upside.
The Chargers aren’t often challenged down the field, but they can be had for the chunk play if Maye is afforded the time to throw (LAC: 13.4% deep touchdown rate, the highest in the league).
The inverse of that, however, is what happens when those big plays don’t connect. This is the defense that owns the 10th-highest sack rate and is the best in the game at preventing red-zone trips from turning into touchdowns. Maye has fantasy stardom in his future, but not so much in the present with a subpar supporting cast and some learning still to do.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB
On his 238 touches this season, Rhamondre Stevenson has as many fumbles as rushing touchdowns (seven) and as many fumbles lost as touches gaining 30+ yards (three). Without ball security in the NFL, there’s not much job security, and that might be a decision the Patriots make in 2025 as they look to build out a Drake Maye-centric offense.
Stevenson has finished each of his past three games in the RB20-30 bucket. While I have him ranked closer to the back end of that than the front, I think that’s about right. The role in the passing game isn’t what it once was, but with a 13+ yard reception in three straight and four games this season with at least four grabs, there’s enough in this profile to justify a Flex ranking, even if it’s not the most comfortable click to make.
DeMario Douglas, WR
The idea of DeMario Douglas one day being for Drake Maye what Khalil Shakir is for Josh Allen is something that appeals to me, but we are far from that “one day.” New England’s slot option has been held under 35 receiving yards in three straight games; that becomes even more worrisome when you see a 91.7% catch rate across those games.
If this is him at peak efficiency, what ceiling is there realistically to chase? It’s OK to be both encouraged by the future of the Maye-led offense and want no piece of it in the short term. That’s where I’m at.
Hunter Henry, TE
It would appear that we have found the best way to utilize Drake Maye’s upside. Is it a little late? Sure, but better late than never, and Henry might be able to put you over the edge as you battle for supremacy in your league.
Last week, he posted his sixth top-10 finish at the position, partly because Maye acted as if he had Henry rostered on his fantasy team (four end zone targets). The usage in close has been there when New England has gotten the opportunity to score, and while that’s encouraging, that’s not all he offers.
Henry offers plus athleticism and has been trusted with vertical shots this year. He’s cleared 50 air yards in four of his past five games, something that gives him the potential to pay off your trust even if you’re skeptical about an offense that enters this week with a sub-20 point projection.
You’re going to have to deal with the confusion on whether it is Austin Hooper (3+ catches in six straight games) or Henry making plays while you’re watching, but this offense pretty clearly wants to feature its chain-moving tight ends; Henry has been on the right side of that committee often enough for me to consider him a viable low-end TE1 this week, even in a tough matchup.
