RADIO
DeMario Douglas the Surprise Leader in Patriots' Receiver Room Sunday
New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas caught seven of his eight targets for 86 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 6 win over the New York Jets. Heading into this week, it seemed like Douglas' fantasy outlook was heading in the wrong direction. After all, he was already behind Romeo Doubs on the depth chart, and he would fall even lower with the activation of A.J. Brown from injured reserve. In the end, Doubs and Brown combined for just four catches this week, leaving Douglas as Drake Maye's favorite and most productive target. We don't expect him to consistently lead the receiver room every week going forward, but it's encouraging to see that he can still be a top fantasy contributor even when his teammates are all healthy. Douglas will absolutely have some streaming appeal as a WR3/flex for Thursday Night Football against the Chicago Bears in Week 7.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
A.J. Brown Struggles With Drops in Week 6 Return
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) endured a frustrating return to action in Sunday's 26-19 victory over the New York Jets. Playing for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 1, Brown struggled to capitalize on his opportunities despite being involved in the passing game early. The veteran dropped several catchable passes, including an end-zone opportunity, as quarterback Drake Maye threw three touchdowns to Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, and Hunter Henry. Brown's inability to make the most of his chances was especially disappointing considering the Patriots lost Doubs to a shoulder injury in the first quarter. Some rust was understandable after four consecutive missed games, but the performance offered little encouragement to fantasy managers who started him. New England faces the Chicago Bears on Thursday night in Week 7, leaving Brown with a short turnaround to regain his rhythm.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Romeo Doubs Ruled Out With Shoulder Injury
New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs (shoulder) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets, according to an announcement from the team. Doubs suffered the injury while hauling in a 42-yard touchdown reception from Drake Maye in the first quarter, landing hard on his right shoulder at the end of the play. The 26-year-old was initially considered questionable to return after receiving attention in the medical tent and heading to the locker room, but his afternoon is now over. His absence leaves A.J. Brown, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III as New England's available wide receivers. Brown is making his return after missing four games with a high-ankle sprain, and the remaining receivers could see additional targets with Doubs sidelined. The Patriots face the Chicago Bears on Thursday night in Week 7, leaving Doubs with a short recovery window before their next contest.
Source: Patriots Communications
Source: Patriots Communications
Romeo Doubs Questionable to Return vs. Jets with Shoulder Injury
New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs (shoulder) is questionable to return to a Week 6 matchup with the New York Jets due to a shoulder injury, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Doubs was injured after he dove for a ball in the end zone and completed a 42-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Drake Maye. It appeared that Doubs landed on his right shoulder. He went to the blue medical tent and then back to the locker room for further evaluation. While Doubs is out, the Patriots will rely on wide receivers A.J. Brown, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism III and others.
Source: Mike Reiss - ESPN
Source: Mike Reiss - ESPN
A.J. Brown Will Play a "Good Amount" in Week 6
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) will play a "good amount" of snaps in his return from injured reserve, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Although Brown isn't expected to be 100% on Sunday, it does sound like he'll be pretty close to a full workload. That's great news for fantasy managers, who should feel reassured about starting him as a WR1 in their Week 6 lineups. Brown is returning to this surging Patriots offense at just the right time. Quarterback Drake Maye has completed 48 passes over the last two weeks alone, so there should be plenty of targets and receptions headed Brown's way. New York has been stingier against wide receivers in fantasy football this year, but Brown is matchup-proof and should excel this week, especially with the Patriots projected to win by 7.5 points.
Source: Mike Garafolo
Source: Mike Garafolo
A.J. Brown Officially Activated from Injured Reserve, Will Play in Week 6
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) has officially been activated from Injured Reserve and will play in his team's Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Brown has been sidelined since suffering a high-ankle sprain in New England's Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 29-year-old is in his first season with the Patriots, but he has a long history of being a highly productive wideout and should immediately become the number one target for New England quarterback Drake Maye. Across 15 games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025, Brown recorded 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns on 121 targets. Now that he's officially active, Brown profiles as a must-start wide receiver for fantasy managers in Week 6.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Romeo Doubs' Outlook Weakens with Teammate Returning in Week 6
New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs performed fine as the team's top target for four weeks, but his volume will likely decline in Week 6 against the New York Jets. Teammate A.J. Brown (ankle) is expected to return from injured reserve this week, and his presence will lower the ceiling and floor for Doubs, who was already trending in the wrong direction after catching just one pass last week. Doubs posted double-digit PPR points in two of the four weeks that Brown missed, so with Brown returning, we'd expect the 26-year-old to post mid-to-high single-digit points. That doesn't necessarily factor him out of the fantasy football conversation entirely, but it definitely drops him to the WR3/flex tier at best. To make matters worse, the Jets have been stingy on defense this year, allowing the eighth-fewest yards and ninth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2026. If it's any consolation, the Patriots have a 7.5-point leg up on the Jets in the latest odds, but we're still hesitant to roll out Doubs with Brown back in action.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
A.J. Brown a Must-Start Receiver in Anticipated Return
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) is expected to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Week 6 against the New York Jets. If confirmed as active for Sunday's divisional contest, Brown would immediately jump into must-start territory for fantasy football. The Patriots acquired Brown this past offseason to be their alpha receiver and Drake Maye's favorite target, and he re-joins the offense at a perfect time as the unit has been firing on all cylinders lately. Maye has completed 48 passes over the last two weeks alone, so there are likely plenty of targets and receptions headed Brown's way. New York has been stingier against wide receivers in fantasy football this year, but Brown is matchup-proof and should excel this week, especially with the Patriots projected to win by 7.5 points. As long as he's officially activated and cleared to play, Brown should rank as a low-end WR1 in fantasy football.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
A.J. Brown Likely to Be Active in Week 6
The New England Patriots are likely to activate wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) off Injured Reserve ahead of their Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Brown has been sidelined since suffering a high-ankle sprain in New England's Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 29-year-old is in his first season with the Patriots after recording 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns on 121 targets across 15 games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025. Once active, Brown profiles as the clear number-one option in the Patriots' passing game. Fantasy managers can view him as a low-end WR2 in his first game back.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
A.J. Brown Officially Questionable for Week 6
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said that wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) is questionable to play in Week 6 on Sunday at home against the division-rival New York Jets, according to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com. The Patriots want to see how Brown responds after Friday's practice. The 29-year-old is on the verge of returning from Injured Reserve after he suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. The former second-rounder from Mississippi is a question mark for Week 6, but fantasy managers will know one way or another if he will be active against the Jets if the Patriots officially activate him from IR by Saturday afternoon's deadline. If given the green light to return this weekend, Brown will be a volatile fantasy football option after a long layoff with the potential to see a reduced workload. Eventually, though, Brown will reprise his role as the No. 1 receiver for quarterback Drake Maye.
Source: MassLive.com - Mark Daniels
Source: MassLive.com - Mark Daniels
A.J. Brown Loosening Up for Friday's Practice
New England Patriots star wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) was seen loosening up along the sidelines as the team's practice got underway on Friday, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Brown has practiced all week, albeit limited, as he potentially looks to come off Injured Reserve to play this weekend against the division-rival New York Jets. We will know whether Brown is going to play in Week 6 by Saturday, when the Patriots would have to officially activate him from IR if they plan on using him on Sunday. The 29-year-old big offseason acquisition suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and has been out since then. If Brown is activated and plays on Sunday, he will be volatile in starting fantasy lineups while potentially being at risk of having his snaps limited. The three-time Pro Bowler caught three passes for 26 yards in the season opener before his ankle injury. He will look to immediately re-establish a connection with quarterback Drake Maye as the team's No. 1 wideout when he returns.
Source: ESPN.com - Mike Reiss
Source: ESPN.com - Mike Reiss
A.J. Brown's Status "Up in the Air" for Week 6
After being designated to return from Injured Reserve, New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since Week 1, and when asked how his ankle responded, he told the media on Thursday, "I felt pretty good. It's one step at a time." He added that his status for Sunday's divisional matchup with the Jets is "up in the air" and that head coach Mike Vrabel will ultimately make the decision. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the Patriots' practice reports, but if Brown returns to action in Week 6, he can be put directly back into lineups. Playing with a depleted receiving corps, quarterback Drake Maye has been the fantasy QB2 over the past two weeks, and Brown's presence should elevate the entire New England offense.
Source: Evan Lazar
Source: Evan Lazar
Romeo Doubs Losing Appeal as Patriots' Wide Receiver Corps Gets Healthier
Across five games so far in 2026, New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs has recorded 13 catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns on 23 targets. After star Patriots wideout A.J. Brown (ankle) went down with an ankle injury early in Week 1, Doubs appeared to have a chance to lead his team's pass-catching corps. However, outside of one big game in Week 4, Doubs has largely underwhelmed. In Week 5, it was younger Patriots wide receivers Efton Chism III and DeMario Douglas who stepped up as the top targets for New England quarterback Drake Maye. Heading into Week 6, Brown is now eligible to return from Injured Reserve. While the star wideout may not play this week against the New York Jets, he will likely be back on the field sooner rather than later. Between Brown's impending return and Doubs' own unreliability, Doubs could be droppable in shallower fantasy formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Patriots Opening Practice Window on A.J. Brown
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) is being designated to return from injured reserve, according to head coach Mike Vrabel. Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain in the season-opening loss to the Seahawks, and after missing the last four games, he will have his 21-day practice window opened ahead of a divisional matchup with the Jets. With a depleted wide receiver corps, quarterback Drake Maye has returned to MVP-caliber form over the past two weeks, and Brown's return could help form one of the league's highest-ceiling fantasy stacks. Brown has reportedly been pushing to practice this week, but his status will need to be tracked through the team's injury reports, and he becomes a must-start as soon as he is activated.
Source: Mike Reiss
Source: Mike Reiss
A.J. Brown Eligible to Practice on Wednesday
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) is eligible to practice on Wednesday for the first time since being placed on injured reserve. Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain on the opening night of the 2026 season and was placed on injured reserve, with expectations that he would miss close to six weeks. Recovery has been going well, with reports that Brown is walking without a limp, working out on the side, and has had no setbacks. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said Brown could play in Week 6, which would shorten his timeline to five weeks. Although he played just one half with his new team, he's averaged over 12 half-PPR fantasy points per game in six of his seven seasons. Now with Drake Maye looking like his former self, Brown should be positioned to be a high-end WR2 once he returns.
Source: Mike Reiss - ESPN
Source: Mike Reiss - ESPN
