The New England Patriots will face the Chicago Bears in Week 10. 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 10 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Drake Maye, QB
I don’t have Drake Maye ranked as a top-15 QB this week, but that’s solely a matchup thing as I think this kid has a skill set that is built for fantasy. Only once this season has a quarterback reached 17.1 fantasy points against the Bears — it was Jayden Daniels in Week 8, and he doesn’t get there if not for the Hail Mary.
Maye plays with a lack of fear; that should terrify his coaches as much as it pleases his fantasy managers. I’ll be calling his number down the stretch this season in DFS situations and maybe in deeper redraft leagues, but I’m saving those bullets.
Antonio Gibson, RB
Week 9 saw Antonio Gibson play a season-low 12.3% of New England’s offensive snaps, and he’s well off of the Flex radar at this point with no more than five touches in three straight games.
I’m not sold he’s a very valuable handcuff, as I think this offense would put more on Drake Maye’s shoulders instead of putting significant work in front of Gibson should Rhamondre Stevenson get hurt. That thought process puts him on the chopping block if you find yourself desperate for Flex options as we approach these bye-heavy weeks.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB
Rhamondre Stevenson touched the ball on three of New England’s first four plays in the loss to the Titans last week, proof positive that this team, while wanting to develop Drake Maye in a meaningful way, still wants to keep defenses honest with their lead back.
Stevenson has scored four times over the past two weeks despite none of his 30 carries gaining more than seven yards over that stretch — he’s boring, but he’s a volume back in an offense that has been trending up since the rookie took over.
It’s rarely pretty, but a profile that includes five RB1 finishes deserves to be starting for you in all formats, even against the third-best red-zone defense in the league. I doubt Stevenson is the reason you win your matchup in Week 10, but if he’s not the reason you lose it, that’ll work as you bank on the rest of your roster to do the heavy lifting.
DeMario Douglas, WR
DeMario Douglas had a pretty 21-yard catch over his shoulder on the first drive last week in the overtime loss to the Titans — his other eight targets totaled 14 yards.
A player like Douglas can hold value, and if Drake Maye truly is the second coming of Josh Allen, the Patriots’ WR might well become his Khalil Shakir with time.
But we aren’t there yet. Not close.
The Bears are the fifth-best defense against receivers this season, and with Maye being more likely to run than force the ball into a tight window, Douglas clawing his way to his fifth top-40 finish of the season is about as high as I can see him finishing this week.
I’d rather roll the dice on a Jalen Coker or Jalen McMillan (presuming health) type than hope for a Wan’Dale Robinson type of line from Douglas.
Hunter Henry, TE
Drake Maye brings with him a different look to this New England Patriots offense, and that has me optimistic about the value of Hunter Henry moving forward.
With 20 catches over the past three weeks, Henry is tied for the position lead in involvement. No, I don’t think he’s a real threat to be among the reception leaders during the second half of the season, but there aren’t 10 tight ends with a greater role, and that’s enough to consider him a weekly TE1, even if it’s on the lower end.
New England Patriots at Chicago Bears Insights
New England Patriots
Team: The Patriots are averaging 264.8 yards of offense per game, the lowest mark in the NFL this season and the sixth-worst through nine weeks over the past decade (every team in the AFC East has a season represented in that bottom-6).
QB: Players in the 2000s with multiple efforts of 30 passes, 200 pass yards, and 35 rushing yards within their first five career games – Maye (2024), Gardner Minshew (2019), and Robert Griffin III (2012).
Offense: The Patriots allow pressure without being blitzed on 37.8% of dropbacks, the second-highest rate in the league.
Defense: The Patriots average just 1.78 sacks per game, ranking them 29th in the NFL (the Bears rank ninth: 2.88 per game).
Fantasy: Rhamondre Stevenson has scored four times over the past two weeks despite none of his 30 carries gaining more than seven yards over that stretch.
Betting: Since 2009, the Patriots are just 3-8-1 ATS (27.3%) when traveling to face a rookie quarterback.
Chicago Bears
Team: Chicago is 3-0 at home (wins over the Titans, Rams, and Panthers), 1-0 in neutral spots (Jaguars in London), and 0-4 on the road (Texans, Colts, Commanders, and Cardinals).
QB: Two steps forward, two steps back. After Caleb Williams completed six-of-seven deep passes in Weeks 5-6, he is just two-of-16 when stretching the field in his two games since (15-plus air yards).
Offense: The Bears have reached the red zone on just 22.5% of their drives this season, ranking them 28th in the league.
Defense: The Bears have the third-best red zone defense in the NFL (40.9% touchdown rate, tops in the NFC).
Fantasy: D’Andre Swift has at least four catches or a 35-plus yard gain in five straight games.
Betting: The Bears have covered seven straight home games (overs have cashed in five of their past six at home).