Is Drake Maye A Good Fantasy Football Pickup for Week 10? Waiver Wire Outlook

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye played in just his third full game in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans. It was technically his fourth start, but he was knocked out of his Week 8 game after sustaining a concussion. He then cleared concussion protocol quickly.

While he didn't have his best performance last Sunday, it takes the brain longer than a week to recover from a concussion, so that likely impacted his play. In addition, he flashed his insane mobility and made a few highlight-reel plays that have captured the attention of many in the fantasy football and NFL spaces.

So is he a good pickup off waivers or free agency for Week 10?

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What Did Drake Maye Do In Week 9?

The rookie signal-caller completed 29 of his 41 passes for 206 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also lost a fumble. But more importantly, he rushed eight times for 95 yards. Rushing quarterbacks are a cheat code in fantasy football, since rushing yards count for 2.5 times the points that passing yards do, and rushing TDs are 1.5 times as valuable as passing scores.

Don't want Drake Maye scrambling as much as he did vs the Titans, and as much as I appreciate his toughness, he's gotta be better about sliding after moving the chains

That said, the rookie gashed TEN's deep zone drops and picked up several key conversions + chunk plays https://t.co/N06cKH81M0 pic.twitter.com/LdPyjvejhd

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) November 4, 2024

He's just fast. Not sneaky athletic, but explosive on the ground. He didn't rush for a touchdown in Week 9, but he has clearly shown that he can.

Not only can he rack up points on the ground, his mobility behind the line of scrimmage allows him to extend plays and make something where nothing is present. The opposing Titans have played the pass well all year, but sometimes there's just nothing you can do against a QB that can extend plays for this long.

Wild. Crazy. Unbelievable. Drake Maye would not be denied six points. pic.twitter.com/08D7BiEpYg

— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

Is Drake Maye A Good Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickup In Week 10?

Absolutely, yes. He should not be on waivers or a free agent right now. The moment he cleans up his turnovers, he can be an elite fantasy option at QB, and could finish as a top-5 player at his position over the second half of the season. Fantasy managers should be salivating over his rushing ability and speed.

Per @NextGenStats: Drake Maye hit 20.33 mph on his 17-yard touchdown run yesterday.

Ties — guess who? — Jacoby Brissett for the fastest speed by a Patriots QB in the NGS era (since 2016).

Brissett hit that mark as a rookie fill-in in Week 3 of 2016. pic.twitter.com/bRlhnntRzP

— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) October 28, 2024

However, it's not just that that should be making people want to grab him off waivers or free agency. He's a great thrower of the football, and as he develops more chemistry with his receivers, he could be even better. In addition, rookie WR Javon Baker looks to be getting more chances to play, and he's far better than WRs Kayshon Boutte and Ja'Lynn Polk, who haven't played well.

Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are the future pic.twitter.com/xlzRuZ6mRw

— Steven Patton (@PattonAnalytics) November 6, 2024

Unfortunately, Maye has to face the Chicago Bears, who boast a very tough pass defense, in Week 10. After that, it should be much smoother sailing. But typically, a team with poor receiving weapons against a great secondary doesn't lead to explosive results.

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