The New England Patriots will face the Buffalo Bills in Week 18. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB Drake Maye.
Is Drake Maye Playing in Week 18?
Week 18 Status: QUESTIONABLE
Maye was limited at practice all week with a right-hand injury. Head coach Jerod Mayo already said Maye will start if he’s healthy enough to do so. On Thursday, it was officially announced that Maye will start, though he carries a questionable designation on the final injury report.
We’ll continue to monitor the Patriots’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Drake Maye in Week 18?
With 124 passing yards on Sunday, Drake Maye will become the seventh QB in NFL history with 2,400 passing yards and 420 rushing yards in his first season, joining Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams as members of the 2024 class to appear on that list.
Consistency has been an issue, but that’s common as college kids adjust to the pro game. The fact of the matter is that we’ve seen enough to be optimistic long-term.
Maye jumps up the Week 18 rankings because New England is only worried about developing him, and thus he’s a good bet to play 60 minutes. He looked just fine two weeks ago in this matchup (261 passing yards, two passing scores, and three rushing yards), and that exact line projects as more valuable now than in Week 16.
Maye is a low-end QB1 for me this week in what could be a glimpse into the future. The can’t-teach tools are there — once this roster catches up, a fantasy explosion feels more inevitable than it does wish casting.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 18 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Drake Maye’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 18
As of Saturday, Maye is projected to score 17 fantasy points in Week 18. This includes 277.4 passing yards, 1.2 passing touchdowns, and 0.8 interceptions. It also includes 2 rushing attempts for 10.2 yards and 0.1 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Drake Maye’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 12:45 AM ET on Saturday, January 4. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Week 18 Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 18 QB PPR Rankings
1) Lamar Jackson | BAL (vs. CLE)
2) Jayden Daniels | WAS (at DAL)
3) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. NO)
4) Joe Burrow | CIN (at PIT)
5) Sam Darnold | MIN (at DET)
6) Jared Goff | DET (vs. MIN)
7) Jordan Love | GB (vs. CHI)
8) Bo Nix | DEN (vs. KC)
9) Kyler Murray | ARI (vs. SF)
10) Justin Herbert | LAC (at LV)
11) Drake Maye | NE (vs. BUF)
12) Bryce Young | CAR (at ATL)
13) Russell Wilson | PIT (vs. CIN)
14) Geno Smith | SEA (at LAR)
15) Caleb Williams | CHI (at GB)
16) Aaron Rodgers | NYJ (vs. MIA)
17) Joe Flacco | IND (vs. JAX)
18) Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (vs. CAR)
19) Mason Rudolph | TEN (vs. HOU)
20) Aidan O'Connell | LV (vs. LAC)
21) Mac Jones | JAX (at IND)
22) Tanner McKee | PHI (vs. NYG)
23) Kenny Pickett | PHI (vs. NYG)
24) Cooper Rush | DAL (vs. WAS)
25) C.J. Stroud | HOU (at TEN)
26) Drew Lock | NYG (at PHI)
27) Jimmy Garoppolo | LAR (vs. SEA)
28) Carson Wentz | KC (at DEN)
29) Davis Mills | HOU (at TEN)
30) Tyler Huntley | MIA (at NYJ)
31) Spencer Rattler | NO (at TB)
32) Joshua Dobbs | SF (at ARI)
33) Taylor Heinicke | LAC (at LV)
34) Bailey Zappe | KC (at DEN)
35) Dorian Thompson-Robinson | CLE (at BAL)
36) Sam Howell | SEA (at LAR)
37) Josh Allen | BUF (at NE)