3 months agoNew England Patriots wide receiver
DeMario Douglas continues to trend upward ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Douglas had consistently been playing fewer than two-thirds of the Patriots' offensive snaps, but his snap share jumped to a season-high 92 percent in Week 17, and he could have a similar role against the Bills during the Patriots' regular-season finale. Douglas has been somewhat productive lately, too, catching 11 passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns over his last three games. The 24-year-old has suddenly found the end zone at a greater frequency than ever, and he remains one of the leading targets in New England's
Drake Maye-led offense. Fantasy managers should expect him to rank as a low-end WR3 or high-end WR4 in Week 18.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
3 months agoNew England Patriots wide receiver
DeMario Douglas remains on the fringe of the fantasy radar heading into Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Douglas is the overall WR48 in PPR leagues this year, but he has seen reduced opportunities lately with just 11 catches for 64 yards over his last three games. He did salvage his Week 15 showing with a touchdown, and his last three performances have represented his floors. Still, though, he doesn't inspire much confidence for the fantasy playoffs. If there's one factor to be excited about, however, it's his matchup. Douglas is set to face a Chargers defense that allows the fifth-most fantasy points to slot receivers. Douglas takes 73.1 percent of his snaps from the slot (fifth-most in the NFL), so perhaps this is a matchup made in heaven. Still, he'll need to fight for targets in an offense that has seen increased productivity from
Hunter Henry,
Austin Hooper,
Kendrick Bourne, and
Kayshon Boutte. As a result, Douglas remains in the WR4 tier for fantasy purposes.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
3 months agoNew 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.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
3 months agoNew England Patriots wide receiver
DeMario Douglas is an intriguing fantasy option ahead of his Week 16 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. While Douglas was held to just three catches for 11 yards (plus one touchdown) last Sunday, he has a promising chance to bounce back in Orchard Park this weekend. This optimism is rooted in the Bills' subpar performances against slot receivers this season. Buffalo has allowed the second-most fantasy points to receivers in the slot, which bodes well for Douglas, who has played 400 slot snaps this season (fifth-most in the NFL). Plus, with the Patriots expected to be playing from behind, there should be no shortage of targets for Douglas this week. He's not a touchdown or big-play threat, but his impressive volume and favorable matchup make him a fringe top-36 fantasy receiver in PPR leagues.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
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