RADIO
Kyle Williams is Getting More Involved
New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams made his biggest contribution of the season during last week's win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The 23-year-old hauled in all three of his targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in the win. His biggest play came on a 34-yard pass from quarterback Drake Maye in the second quarter. The expectation is that Williams is going to see an expanded role in the offense with A.J. Brown (ankle) and Mack Hollins (calf) on the Injured Reserve. It looks like the Patriots are finally beginning to trust Williams more in the offense. Fantasy managers in deep leagues who are looking for help should consider adding Williams ahead of the Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Efton Chism III is Gaining Value After Another Solid Performance
New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III has been seeing a bigger role in the offense with multiple wideouts landing on the Injured Reserve. Right now, the Patriots are without both A.J. Brown (ankle) and Mack Hollins (calf), which has led to an increased workload for Chism. This past weekend, Chism hauled in five of his six targets for 57 yards in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Both the yardage and receptions were a season-high for Chism. The expectation is that he'll continue seeing more balls thrown his way with the Patriots being limited on offensive contributors. Fantasy managers in deep leagues that are looking for help at wideout should consider snagging Chism.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
DeMario Douglas on the Waiver Radar After Two-Touchdown Performance
New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas will be on the waiver-wire radar this week after he scored two touchdowns in the 45-17 rout over the visiting New England Patriots on Sunday in Week 5. Despite playing just under half of the offensive snaps, Douglas caught four of five targets for 65 yards and two touchdowns. He was second on the team in receiving yards and had just one fewer target than Efton Chism III in the passing game. The 25-year-old was underwhelming in the first four games of the 2026 season, especially when considering that top wideout A.J. Brown (ankle) has been on Injured Reserve since suffering a high-ankle sprain in the season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. In the first four games, Douglas had just nine catches on 17 targets for 82 yards and no touchdowns. It was nice to see Douglas get more involved in the passing game against the Raiders, but with Brown's return on the horizon, fantasy managers looking for WR help should only consider Douglas as a potential short-term boost at the position as the Patriots prepare for a Week 6 divisional tilt against the New York Jets. Douglas is rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
A.J. Brown Could Return to Action in Week 6
Updating a previous report, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters on Monday that there is "a chance" that wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) returns off Injured Reserve to play in Week 6 against the division-rival New York Jets, according to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network. Brown is very close to returning from the high-ankle sprain that he suffered in the season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks. It is excellent news for a Patriots offense that has come alive in back-to-back wins over the division-rival Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders. When he comes off IR, Brown should go back to being the top aerial target for young quarterback Drake Maye. Before leaving Week 1 against Seattle, Brown caught three passes for 26 yards. He was acquired in an offseason trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to serve as Maye's go-to downfield target in 2026. Fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on Brown's status this week during practice from Monday through Friday. If he is activated and makes the start on Sunday versus the Jets, he should be returned to most starting fantasy football lineups.
Source: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
Source: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
A.J. Brown Has Chance to Resume Practicing This Week
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) could return to practice this week, according to Evan Lazar. Asked Monday about the possibility, head coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged that there is a chance, although he stopped short of confirming a return. Brown has been on injured reserve since suffering a high-ankle sprain during New England's September 9 season opener against Seattle, when he caught three of four targets for 26 yards before exiting. Having missed four games, the 29-year-old is eligible to be activated ahead of Sunday's Week 6 matchup against the New York Jets. The Patriots are also without Mack Hollins (calf), who recently landed on injured reserve, although their remaining receivers performed well in Sunday's 45-17 win over Las Vegas. Kyle Williams caught three passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, while DeMario Douglas added four receptions for 65 yards and two scores. Brown recorded 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. His return would provide another established target for Drake Maye, but his practice participation and activation status will determine whether he's a realistic fantasy option for Week 6.
Source: Evan Lazar
Source: Evan Lazar
Romeo Doubs the Odd Man Out in Week 5
New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs caught just one of his three targets for 16 yards during Sunday's Week 5 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Doubs spent the previous three weeks ascending into the de facto No. 1 receiver role with A.J. Brown (ankle) sidelined. Over his last two games, he had nine catches, 107 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. However, he relinquished all of his momentum in Week 5, serving as a major letdown to his fantasy managers. Even in a wide receiver room featuring just four players, Doubs finished last in terms of targets, catches, and yardage. Brown is eligible to be activated from injured reserve before next week's game against the New York Jets, which would completely eliminate Doubs' WR3/flex appeal in leagues with 10 or fewer teams. If Brown remains sidelined, Doubs will be a WR3/flex with a very low floor.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kyle Williams has Breakout Performance in Win Over Raiders
New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams was finally able to break free and made some noise during Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Coming into this game, Williams had been held to two receptions for 44 receiving yards on the season. Williams was able to break out on Sunday when he hauled in all three of his targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Raiders. His most notable play came as a 34-yard touchdown grab from Drake Maye in the second quarter. Finally, Williams is making an impact, but his role will likely be reduced once A.J. Brown (ankle) returns to the field. Brown is eligible to return from the Injured Reserve next week. Williams might not be an attractive streaming option if Brown is back for next week's matchup against the New York Jets.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
DeMario Douglas Finds End Zone Twice in Blowout Win Over Raiders
New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas recorded four receptions for 65 yards (16.3 yards per catch) and two touchdowns in a 45-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5. Douglas marked a new season high with the 65 receiving yards, and the two touchdowns were his first scores of the 2026 campaign. He was the recipient of a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drake Maye to open the scoring on Sunday, as well as on the Patriots' final touchdown of the day, which was an eight-yard score thrown by Maye. Douglas entered the matchup with just nine catches for 82 yards (9.1 yards per reception). Douglas, currently rostered in just 2% of Yahoo leagues, has not had a lot of fantasy success so far in 2026, but he has put himself on the radar with his Week 5 performance.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rhamondre Stevenson Expected to Play Against the Raiders in Week 5
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (knee) is expected to be active for Sunday's Week 5 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Stevenson practiced in a limited capacity all week long, and he was officially listed as questionable entering this weekend. The 28-year-old has been significantly more productive than fellow running back TreVeyon Henderson so far, but he runs into a tougher matchup in the form of the Raiders, who have allowed the fifth-fewest receptions to running backs in 2026. If Stevenson gets bottled up in the receiving game, he may have trouble posting decent efficiency numbers on the ground. As a result, he's a bit of a riskier high-end RB3/flex play this week.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
DeMario Douglas Trending Up After Teammate's Injury
New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas could take on a larger role, starting in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Patriots placed wide receiver Mack Hollins (calf) on injured reserve Sunday, and they will also be without A.J. Brown (ankle) for at least one more week. As a result, New England is carrying just four wide receivers into Sunday's home game, with Douglas the presumptive No. 2 receiver behind Romeo Doubs. He and Hollins are different styles of receivers; the former offers a short-to-medium yardage outlet, while the latter makes physical catches downfield. However, it's still reasonable to expect that plenty of Hollins' vacated targets could go to Douglas, especially since the Patriots already have Doubs, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III to handle those aforementioned big plays downfield. The expanded role will vault Douglas into the WR3/flex conversation in deeper leagues, although the duration of his fantasy relevance will depend on how much more time Brown misses.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Patriots Place Mack Hollins on Injured Reserve with Calf Injury
New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (calf) has been placed on injured reserve, according to Evan Lazar of the team's official website. Hollins had already been ruled out for Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but his placement on IR will now sideline him through Week 8 at the earliest. The Patriots find themselves short-staffed at wide receiver right now, and they'll look for players like Romeo Doubs and Efton Chism III to continue to step up on Sunday afternoon. Reinforcements could also be on the way, as AJ Brown (ankle) is eligible to return from IR next week. However, a Week 6 return for Brown may be ambitious, as that would put him ahead of his initial timeline. Nevertheless, Hollins' absence means that Drake Maye will have to find a different receiver to trust in contested or high-leverage scenarios. The 33-year-old had been one of his go-to options in the passing attack, catching 15 passes for 209 yards through the first four games of the season.
Source: Evan Lazar
Source: Evan Lazar
Efton Chism III Set for Another Big Game in Week 5?
New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III is coming off an impressive performance against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, and he continues to trend in the right direction with some low-end WR3/flex appeal in deeper leagues for Week 5. Fresh off a 42-yard, one-touchdown outing, Chism will look to keep the momentum going against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon. Fortunately for the 24-year-old, he'll take on an expanded role with AJ Brown (ankle) and Mack Hollins (calf) both on injured reserve. Chism's story has been remarkable, as he went from an undrafted free agent and healthy scratch on game days to occupying a potentially fantasy-relevant role for a legitimate playoff contender. Chism had four targets and a 45% snap share last week, so we'd expect him to match or exceed those numbers in Week 5 now that Hollins is out of the picture. You can probably find a safer option on waivers in most standard-sized leagues, but Chism's upside is definitely worth a look as a streamer in deeper redraft formats. There's some big-play potential here, too, as the Raiders have allowed a whopping 16.9 yards per catch through the first four weeks of the 2026 NFL season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Romeo Doubs Looks to Stay Hot in Week 5 Against Raiders
New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs shook off an ugly season opener in Week 1 and has contributed at a much higher level over his last three games. Throughout the last three weeks, he has caught 12 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns, ranking as the overall WR14 in PPR leagues during that span. The 26-year-old has done a great job stepping up as the de facto No. 1 receiver with AJ Brown (ankle) sidelined, and that trend should continue in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Brown will be eligible to return from IR starting next week, so this is Doubs' last guaranteed opportunity to operate as Drake Maye's favorite target. Vegas has effectively limited receptions and receiving touchdowns this year, but there's still plenty of big-play upside against a secondary allowing 16.9 yards per catch. Ironically, Doubs himself is averaging 16.9 yards per catch this year, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him contribute several plays downfield. He remains a high-end WR3/flex option in Week 5.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Mack Hollins Ruled Out for Week 5
New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (calf) did not practice all week and has officially been ruled out for the Week 5 game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, according to the team. Hollins will miss his first game of the year after getting injured in the Week 4 win over the division-rival Buffalo Bills. With the 33-year-old veteran out and A.J. Brown (ankle) still on Injured Reserve, Romeo Doubs should have an even higher target ceiling against the Raiders. The Patriots will also ask DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, and Kyle Williams to step up, as well as tight ends Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon. It is not great news for young quarterback Drake Maye, as he looks to lead the team to a second straight win. Hollins has been a more attractive deep-league flex option with Brown on IR, and he has caught 15 of his 20 targets for 209 yards without a touchdown through four games in his second season in New England. The next chance Hollins has to return will be for a Week 6 divisional contest against the New York Jets.
Source: New England Patriots
Source: New England Patriots
Mack Hollins Not Spotted at Thursday's Practice
New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (calf) was not spotted at Thursday's practice during the portion open to the media, according to Evan Lazar of the team's official website. Hollins also missed the first practice of the week on Wednesday, so as of now, he is trending in the wrong direction to be available in Week 5 at home against the Las Vegas Raiders. Top wideout A.J. Brown (ankle) remains on Injured Reserve and will miss a fourth straight game this weekend, so the Patriots receiving room could be pretty thinned out against Vegas if Hollins cannot play. The 33-year-old Hollins has merely been a flex play in deeper fantasy leagues, even with Brown out, and he is still searching for his first touchdown of the year. In the three games without Brown, Hollins has caught 11 of his 15 targets for 158 yards. Romeo Doubs will have at least one more week as the top dog at WR for the Pats, and DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III will have bigger roles against the Raiders if Hollins does not play in Week 5.
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
