Eric Moody
When the Patriots turned to Drake Maye in Week 6 of the 2024 season, they tasked the No. 3 total choose with revitalizing an offense suffering from inconsistency and inexperience.
In 11 begins from Week 6 to Week 17, Maye threw for two,254 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, whereas including 409 dashing yards and two dashing scores. That translated to a mean of 16.0 fantasy factors per sport in these begins, which might have ranked simply outdoors the highest 12 quarterbacks over a full season.
Maye's effectivity was notable. He completed seventeenth in quarterback ranking (QBR) and threw not less than one landing in each full sport he performed.
Getting into his second NFL season, Maye has all of the makings of a top-10 fantasy quarterback. After exhibiting promise in his rookie yr, he enters a much better offensive state of affairs and presents the dual-threat talent set that fantasy managers covet.
Here is why Maye, whose present common draft place of 152.3 in ESPN leagues ranks 18th amongst quarterbacks, deserves severe consideration in your 2025 fantasy drafts:
An upgraded supporting forged
The largest offseason addition for the Patriots is Stefon Diggs, a confirmed wideout with six 1,000-yard seasons and a profession common of 72.8 receiving yards per sport. Diggs' route-running and separation abilities ought to instantly elevate Maye's passing ceiling.
The Patriots additionally added Mack Hollins, rookie Kyle Williams and dynamic second-round operating again TreVeyon Henderson, who brings pass-catching capability out of the backfield. This provides Maye a a lot deeper and extra versatile group of playmakers than he had as a rookie.
There are additionally enhancements on the offensive line, which is notable given the foremost safety points final season. The Patriots ranked close to the underside of the league in move block win charge and final in run block win charge. Whereas Maye performed in solely 13 video games as a rookie, he was sacked 34 instances, rating fifteenth within the league.
To deal with this, New England added veteran linemen Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury, drafted left sort out Will Campbell within the first spherical, and picked up heart Jared Wilson. Even average enchancment right here might result in cleaner pockets and extra constant manufacturing from Maye.
As well as, new head coach Mike Vrabel arrives with a run-heavy background from his time in Tennessee, however the return of Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator alerts a extra balanced and adaptable method.
McDaniels is aware of how you can construct schemes round his quarterback's strengths. Anticipate early-down runs to arrange play-action and run-pass choices that permit Maye to make the most of mismatches. This technique performs to each his passing capability and his mobility.
The dashing ground issues in fantasy
Maye's dashing capability is a significant asset, particularly in comparison with another younger quarterbacks who do not make the most of the bottom sport as a lot. Maye ranked ninth at QB in dashing yards and first on the place with 7.8 yards per rush (minimal 20 carries), exhibiting the power to increase performs and salvage fantasy factors even when beneath stress.
Even in video games the place passing numbers dip, a handful of scrambles can result in 50 dashing yards, which interprets to five.0 fantasy factors earlier than touchdowns are even thought-about. This provides him a dependable fantasy ground.
That dashing security internet makes Maye a extra interesting choice than pocket passers like Jared Goff or C.J. Stroud, who do not provide the identical mobility.
Favorable schedule and worthwhile fill-in
The Patriots have the sixth-easiest schedule in 2025, in response to ESPN analyst Mike Clay's strength of schedule matrix.
Maye additionally strains up properly as a bye-week fill-in for managers with Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow, who've byes in Week 10, or Jayden Daniels, Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa, who've byes in Week 12.
In these matchups, Maye attracts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals — two defenses that struggled to comprise dual-threat quarterbacks final yr. This sort of flexibility positions him as a high-end QB2 or a wise element of a quarterback committee method.
Addressing the issues
Maye ranked tenth within the league in off-target proportion (13.6%) final season, a mirrored image of the dangerous passes he was pressured to make beneath stress behind a struggling offensive line. With upgrades to safety and higher offensive expertise round him, that quantity ought to drop.
Diggs' restoration from an ACL harm is one other variable. If his snaps are restricted early within the season, Maye might want to rely extra on Williams, Hollins and DeMario Douglas. Luckily, that group has sufficient depth to fill in, with 2024 second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk and Kayshon Boutte additionally within the combine.
Whereas Vrabel's status suggests a run-focused offense, his Tennessee groups nonetheless utilized quarterback mobility when obtainable. Maye's dashing capability might make him a focus relatively than an afterthought. On high of that, Maye has had a full offseason to enhance his reads, sharpen his pocket presence and develop with a stronger roster round him, suggesting an upward trajectory.
So what's Maye's precise potential?
Taking a second quarterback feels pointless in lots of leagues, however Maye's profile breaks that mould.
Maye's rookie per-game manufacturing already bordered on QB1 territory. With an improved line, higher playmakers and a system that leverages his abilities, a breakout season is properly inside attain. A sport with 250 passing yards, two touchdowns and 60 dashing yards would internet 24 fantasy factors — properly above the 20.9 common of final season's top-10 fantasy quarterbacks. Combine in a few spike weeks towards weak defenses, and Maye might simply discover himself in top-10 territory.
The second-year QB presents a protected dashing ground and thrilling passing upside, all at a late-round worth. That makes him one of many smartest targets at quarterback in 2025.
