Player News

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper caught four of his five targets for 55 yards during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. It has been fascinating to watch him take on a larger role in the Patriots' offense without detracting much from Hunter Henry's volume, productivity, or fantasy value. Over his last six games, Hooper has 22 catches, 293 yards, and two touchdowns, out-producing Henry in yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points (PPR) during that span. That's not to say that Hooper should be started over Henry going forward, but it's at least justification to consider adding him off waivers in deeper fantasy leagues. After all, he has shown that he can produce consistently, tallying at least 6.8 fantasy points in each of his last six games. Hooper should continue to rank as a mid-range fantasy TE2 heading into next Saturday's battle with the Los Angeles Chargers.

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry caught four of his nine targets for 39 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The veteran tight end finished as Drake Maye's top target, playing 83.6 percent of the offensive snaps along the way, but he hauled in fewer than half of the passes thrown his way. On a positive note, Henry did find the end zone, breaking an eight-game scoreless streak. He posted double-digit fantasy points (PPR) for the seventh time this season and will continue to rank as a low-end TE1 when he faces his old team, the Los Angeles Chargers, next Sunday in New England.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne converted his two targets into two receptions for 18 yards during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The veteran pass-catcher was dependable when Drake Maye threw his way, but that didn't happen too often on Sunday evening. This was Bourne's worst outing since Week 8 and will keep him off the fantasy radar going forward. On a positive note, he did play 69.8 percent of the offensive snaps on Sunday, which was his highest mark since Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans (and his third-highest mark through 10 games this season). Moving forward, Bourne can be left on fantasy waivers. He faces the Los Angeles Chargers next Saturday afternoon in Massachusetts.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas caught four of his five targets for 33 yards during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The dependable slot receiver continued to demonstrate his rapport with Drake Maye, but he was still less productive than Kayshon Boutte, Austin Hooper, and Hunter Henry in the pass-catching department. New England does not have an alpha receiver, but they have enough dispersed talent in the passing game that it has become challenging to trust Douglas (or any Patriots wide receiver) on a weekly basis. If there's one thing working in the 24-year-old's favor, it's his increased role around the goal line. He scored a touchdown last week against the Arizona Cardinals, and he was so close to finding the end zone again this Sunday, but replay review determined that Douglas' alleged one-yard touchdown grab actually came loose and hit the ground before he had full control. Regardless of the officials' ruling, it's promising to see Maye look Douglas' way in key situations, especially as the Patriots' offense shows more and more signs of life down the stretch. Douglas ranks as a fantasy WR4 with legitimate WR3 upside. He can be started in fantasy leagues with at least 14 teams when he takes on the Los Angeles Chargers next Saturday.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte caught five of his seven targets for 95 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. This was the best game of Boutte's young career, topping his showing from Week 6 when he totaled 59 yards and a touchdown in quarterback Drake Maye's first career start. Ever since that game, Maye and Boutte have shown flashes of a connection, with the young receiver consistently playing more than 80 percent of the offensive snaps. It came together in the form of a big game this Sunday, with Boutte's best play being a 28-yard touchdown that opened the scoring in the first quarter. It's unclear whether the LSU product will be able to replicate this showing next week against the Los Angeles Chargers, but at the very least, he deserves to rise in fantasy rankings. Boutte is a low-end WR4 option heading into next Saturday's battle with the Bolts.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 22 of his 36 pass attempts for 261 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He also took two sacks, rushed six times for 30 yards on the ground, and was charged with a lost fumble. There's a lot to unpack from Sunday's divisional loss, but let's start with the good news. Maye nearly out-dueled Josh Allen in this contest, pulling his Patriots out to an early 14-0 lead before Buffalo stormed back and managed to hold off a late comeback effort. The rookie signal-caller had his first multi-touchdown game and highest yardage total since Week 11, as well as his best fantasy showing since Week 7. On a less positive note, turnovers continue to be an issue for Maye, who was charged with two on Sunday. His interception was a costly mistake in the end zone, where the No. 3 pick deserved all the blame for throwing to a lurking defender, ending a scoring drive. His fumble was even more costly as it led to a Bills touchdown, but he doesn't deserve all the blame. Backed up against his own end zone, Maye faced heavy pressure, panicked, and dumped the ball off to Rhamondre Stevenson. However, in the mayhem, Stevenson was unable to catch the ball, and it bounced into the end zone. Officials decided the throw was a lateral, which Buffalo promptly recovered for six points and a huge scoring swing. Evidently, there is a lot that Maye will need to clean up before returning to the field against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday, but he also showed flashes of progress that should make fans and fantasy managers optimistic. He will check in as a high-end fantasy QB2 for next week's contest against the Bolts.

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson rushed 10 times for just 28 yards during Sunday's Weke 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He also caught two passes for eight yards through the air. Gibson saw his largest workload since Week 6, but it was all for naught as he mustered just 2.8 yards per carry and was not much of a factor in the passing game. Along the way, Gibson went 0-for-3 on third- and fourth-down conversions, failing to pick up short yardage and move the chains in critical spots. The 26-year-old may continue to earn more snaps after teammate Rhamondre Stevenson coughed up his third fumble of the season on Sunday, but Gibson is still not a dependable fantasy option in leagues with 14 teams or less.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed 12 times for 60 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He also caught a 13-yard pass and lost a fumble. Stevenson's showing in Buffalo was a tale of highs and lows. On a positive note, he found the end zone and mustered an impressive five yards per carry. Less ideal, however, was his costly fumble that could have been the difference-maker in a one-score game. He made another mistake that didn't show up on the stat sheet when he couldn't corral a backward pass from Drake Maye, leading to an easy Buffalo scoop-and-score touchdown. Stevenson certainly has some things to clean up before next Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but if he can get back in the end zone without fumbling the ball, he'll rank as a high-end RB3 option for fantasy football.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson caught six of his nine targets for 40 yards during Sunday's Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 25-year-old took advantage of his matchup against a Buccaneers defense that has struggled against opposing tight ends in 2024, delivering his best fantasy finish since Week 9. Ferguson may have helped fantasy managers punch a ticket to the fantasy championship this week, but we're less optimistic about his outlook for Week 17 when he faces the Philadelphia Eagles, who have allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends this year.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb caught seven of his eight targets for 105 yards during Sunday's Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 25-year-old has remained productive with Cooper Rush under center, delivering steady WR1-caliber numbers over the last three weeks. Fantasy managers should continue to start their studs, including Lamb, as the playoffs continue. However, managers should also temper expectations next week as Lamb takes on the Philadelphia Eagles, who have one of the NFL's best secondaries in terms of limiting opposing receivers' fantasy points. The last time he faced Philadelphia, the Cowboys' top receiver caught just six of 10 targets for just 21 yards through the air.