Nov 4, 2026, 1:41 AM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III has ascended into a fantasy-relevant role amid injuries to A.J. Brown (knee), Mack Hollins (calf), and Romeo Doubs (shoulder). While the former undrafted free agent's role and volume have fluctuated a little bit over the past few weeks, he has been mostly productive while filling in for Brown (who missed Week 8) and Hollins and Doubs (who are on injured reserve). Just last Sunday, despite rainy conditions in Miami, Chism caught five passes for 37 yards while handling a career-high 88% snap share. We can expect him to maintain a similar snap share if Brown and Hollins can't suit up in Week 9 against Green Bay. If Chism remains in the No. 2 role behind DeMario Douglas, there's a legitimate argument for him to be streamed as a WR3/flex in fantasy leagues with 14+ teams.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 4, 2026, 1:38 AM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams has emerged as a potential waiver wire target in deeper fantasy leagues while several of his teammates recover from their respective injuries. Williams has worked his way into a more featured role with A.J. Brown (knee) missing Week 8 and both Romeo Doubs (shoulder) and Mack Hollins (calf) on injured reserve. If all three players remain sidelined going forward, Williams will have streaming upside in deeper fantasy leagues. Last week, as the No. 3 receiver behind DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III, Williams played 83% of the snaps and converted his lone target into a 43-yard touchdown. This isn't the first time that Williams has capitalized on a lower target volume; he has a whopping five touchdowns on just 17 catches through his 25 career NFL games. Williams embodies the mindset that all it takes is one or two targets to make a big impact. He represents a potential waiver wire pickup for fantasy managers seeking big-play upside in the middle of the season.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 3, 2026, 11:29 AM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas caught all three of his targets for 76 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 24-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins, with a 48-yard score accounting for much of his production. Douglas has now collected 17 receptions for 250 yards and four touchdowns over his last four games, already setting a career high in receiving scores. His recent production is appealing, but the volume remains uneven. Even with A.J. Brown (ankle/knee) sidelined and Romeo Doubs (shoulder) and Mack Hollins (calf) on injured reserve, Douglas played 38 offensive snaps against Miami, fewer than Efton Chism III (52) and Kyle Williams (49). Chism also drew five targets to Douglas' three. Hollins is eligible to return in Week 9, while Hunter Henry's foot injury adds uncertainty to New England's passing-game personnel. Douglas remains a worthwhile bench stash in 12-team PPR leagues, matching RotoBaller's recommendation for a player rostered in 37% of leagues. He offers conditional streaming appeal against the Green Bay Packers, though his limited targets make him a risky weekly starter.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 2, 2026, 11:47 AM ET

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel commented on whether wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle, knee) will practice this week and said, "Yeah, we'll see. We'll see how he progresses," according to Evan Lazar of the team's official website. The news isn't entirely encouraging, as it appears to be a wait-and-see situation. Brown was scratched for Week 8 on Saturday with a knee injury, after missing four weeks with an ankle injury earlier in the season. Fantasy managers who have held onto Brown or traded for him will want to monitor his practice status this week as he heads into a crucial Week 9 tilt against the Green Bay Packers. If Brown can't go, Hunter Henry (foot) and DeMario Douglas will remain Drake Maye's top passing options.--Nicho Roessler
Source: Evan Lazar

Nov 1, 2026, 9:47 PM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas made the most of a low volume of targets in a 24-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 8. Douglas caught all three of his targets for 76 yards (25.3 yards per reception) and a touchdown on Sunday. Douglas' score came on a 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drake Maye. Douglas finished behind fellow wide receiver Efton Chism III in targets (five) and receptions (five), but his 76 receiving yards led the Patriots against the Dolphins. Maye only threw 20 passes (16 completions) for 199 yards on the day, so none of New England's receivers saw a particularly high volume of targets. Through eight games, Douglas has recorded 26 receptions for 332 yards (12.8 yards per catch) and four touchdowns. He remains a bench stash or weekly streaming option.--Ryan O'Bleness
Source: NFL.com

Nov 1, 2026, 8:55 AM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (calf) is eligible to be designated to return from injured reserve ahead of Week 9, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. The team can designate him to return as early as Monday, which would open his practice window without immediately bringing him back onto the 53-man roster. This process would allow him to practice with the team like usual, and then once the Patriots determine he's healthy enough to play, then they would officially activate him. New England won't rush Hollins back, but it sounds like he's just about ready to play. The veteran receiver traveled with the team to Chicago last week, and he could practice in the next few days, offering potential reinforcements for a very short-staffed Patriots receiving corps. New England has both Hollins and Romeo Doubs (shoulder) on IR, while A.J. Brown (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins and could be facing a multi-week absence. There's a real chance that Hollins returns and immediately slots in as the team's No. 1 receiver ahead of DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, and Kyle Williams. Across four games this season, Hollins has a respectable 15 catches for 209 yards, but he's still looking for his first touchdown of the 2026 campaign. If Brown misses Week 9 and Hollins plays, the latter would rank as a WR3/flex in 14+ team leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Mike Reiss

Oct 31, 2026, 3:38 PM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III is expected to take on a substantial role in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins. With teammate A.J. Brown (knee) ruled out and both Mack Hollins (calf) and Romeo Doubs (shoulder) on injured reserve, Chism enters this weekend as the projected No. 2 wide receiver. He presumably finds himself ahead of Kyle Williams and behind DeMario Douglas in the pecking order, although he'll likely also operate behind tight end Hunter Henry. Still, being the No. 3 target on offense is enough to generate some fantasy appeal, especially for someone who is in such a strong offense like the Patriots and finds themselves playing against a weaker team like the Dolphins. Chism has just one catch over his last two games, but he has played at least 62% of the snaps in each of his last three contests. Presumably, his snap and target share will jump in Week 8, and we'd expect to see him on the field for at least 70% of the offensive plays. Looking specifically at the matchup, we do have some concerns about game script. Offenses have consistently run the ball against Miami this year because the Dolphins have been weak on both sides of the ball, so this may be a better spot for the Patriots' running backs than their receivers. With that said, Chism's recent volume (and projected increase in snaps) should continue to get him on the low-end WR3/flex radar in deeper 14+ team leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Oct 31, 2026, 1:14 PM ET

The New England Patriots have downgraded star wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle/knee) to out for Sunday's contest against the Miami Dolphins. The top wideout entered the weekend with a questionable tag but hasn't made enough progress to suit up. During the week, Brown was first listed as a limited participant on Wednesday but was eventually downgraded to non-participation on Thursday and Friday. The 29-year-old suffered an ankle injury in the season opener and was later placed on IR but is now dealing with a new knee injury as well. While he returned in Week 6, he has been unproductive in his limited stint, catching just six passes for 75 yards (on 16 targets) over his last two games. While he remains out, managers should expect Drake Maye to lean heavily on Rhamondre Stevenson, with tight end Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas operating as the top pass-catchers.--Andy Smith
Source: Cameron Wolfe

Oct 31, 2026, 12:35 PM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas could step up as the No. 1 target for quarterback Drake Maye in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins. Teammate A.J. Brown (knee) is technically listed as questionable, but it was previously reported that he's dealing with a serious knee injury that will sideline him for several weeks, so we'd be surprised to see him play on Sunday. With Brown likely out, and receiver Mack Hollins (calf) and Romeo Doubs (shoulder) both on injured reserve, Douglas has an opportunity to emerge as the No. 1 receiver ahead of Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III. The 25-year-old had already been trending up lately with 17 targets, 14 catches, 174 yards, and three touchdowns over his last three games. The only red flag with Douglas this week is the matchup. Miami has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2026, likely due to the fact that teams have been in a very positive game script environment against them and opt to run the football. A similar trend could persist this Sunday with the Patriots favored by seven points, but we'd still trust Douglas as a high-end fantasy WR3 in his expanded role.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Oct 31, 2026, 12:20 PM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) is listed as questionable for Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, and while he's a must-start receiver in 12+ team leagues if active, he certainly has a lower floor in fantasy football. In two games since returning from an ankle injury, Brown has 16 targets but just six catches and 75 yards. These are very underwhelming results from the 29-year-old, who represented the biggest offseason acquisition for the Patriots. Now, not only is he coming off back-to-back poor box scores, but he is also dealing with a significant knee injury that complicates his outlook. He is questionable for Week 8 after missing practice on Friday, and even if he does play on Sunday, he'll be less than 100%. If Brown is active, he's still worth starting in 12+ team leagues. He does have a lower floor, but he should also benefit from being the undisputed No. 1 target, especially with Romeo Doubs (shoulder) and Mack Hollins (calf) sidelined. With that being said, managers might have better and more reliable options on their bench in leagues with 10 teams or fewer, especially because of the risk that Brown plays a limited snap count. On the other hand, if Brown isn't able to play this week, we'd see wide receiver DeMario Douglas and tight end Hunter Henry step into significantly larger roles.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Oct 30, 2026, 1:36 PM ET

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said that wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle, knee) is questionable to play on Sunday against the division-rival Miami Dolphins in Week 8, according to Evan Lazar of the team's official website. The Patriots will see where Brown is at on Saturday before they travel to Miami. Brown is officially up in the air to play this weekend due to a chronic knee condition, but the good news is that fantasy managers should know by the end of Saturday whether he will be available for Week 8 fantasy lineups. The 29-year-old landed on Injured Reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and the three-time Pro Bowler has not looked great in the two games since his return, catching six of 16 targets for 75 yards and no touchdowns. Now, his knee injury could cause him to miss more time. With Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins currently on IR for the Pats, quarterback Drake Maye is running out of reliable targets. If Brown is out in Week 8, DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, and Kyle Williams will start in three-wide sets for New England.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar

Oct 30, 2026, 12:12 PM ET

There was no sign of New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee, ankle) during the portion of practice open to the media on Friday, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Brown was limited in Wednesday's practice and was then downgraded to a DNP on Thursday as he manages a chronic condition in his knee. Additionally, the veteran wideout is still working his way back to 100% after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the season opener that landed him on Injured Reserve. The 29-year-old returned to the Patriots in Week 6, but he has not looked right in two games, catching six of 16 targets for 75 yards and no touchdowns, and his status is now in doubt for the Week 8 contest against the division-rival Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Fantasy managers need to check back on Brown's official designation for the weekend. If he is ruled out, DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, and Kyle Williams would serve as the starters in three-wide sets, with Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins still on Injured Reserve.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Mike Reiss

Oct 29, 2026, 3:09 PM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle, knee) was not in attendance at the team's practice on Thursday, according to Sophie Weller of Patriots Wire. The knee injury for Brown was added to the injury report on Wednesday, so Weller wonders if something happened to him during the first practice of the week. It is not what Brown's fantasy managers want to hear as he works to regain his explosiveness following the high-ankle sprain that he suffered in his Patriots debut in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler has played in two games since being activated from Injured Reserve, but he has not looked like himself, catching six of 16 targets for 75 yards without finding the end zone. Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins both remain on IR for the Patriots, so if Brown is unavailable to play in Week 8 versus the division-rival Miami Dolphins, DeMario Douglas could serve as quarterback Drake Maye's top target in an excellent matchup alongside trusted tight end Hunter Henry. Brown has been a fantasy bust so far in 2026 in his first year in New England, playing in only three games while grabbing nine of his 20 targets for 101 yards and no touchdowns.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Patriots Wire - Sophie Weller

Oct 28, 2026, 4:57 PM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday's injury report, per Evan Lazar of Patriots.com. It's not clear whether Brown is dealing with a new ankle injury or simply managing lingering effects from the high-ankle sprain that he suffered in Week 1. Brown returned from that injury in Week 6 after missing four games. However, he's struggled upon his return, recording just six catches for 75 yards and zero touchdowns on 16 targets over his last two games. The veteran wideout also told reporters on Wednesday that he's had some trouble fully regaining his explosiveness while he recovers from the injury. If Brown is unable to play in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, Patriots wide receivers DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, and Kyle Williams could be in line for larger workloads.--Will Brady
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar