Last season, Drake Maye was the popular late-round quarterback likely to break out similar to how Jayden Daniels did the year prior. Sometimes, things go exactly to plan. Maye took that leap and became an elite QB1. The question is whether he can build upon that in year two. By all accounts, the New England Patriots are setting him up to succeed.
Should You Draft Drake Maye in Fantasy Football?
Sometimes, the fantasy community gets it right. Last year, just about everyone was highlighting Maye as the quarterback to target late in fantasy drafts if you didn’t take an elite one. It really couldn’t have worked out any better.
In his second season, equipped with a massive upgrade in coaching staff going from Jerod Mayo to Mike Vrabel, Maye took the leap. He averaged 20.7 fantasy points per game, finishing as the QB2.
Maye was the exact type of player fantasy managers want at quarterback. He had the same ceiling as the likes of Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, while also possessing a very high floor. Maye didn’t have a single game below 12.0 fantasy points all season. He failed to reach roughly 16 fantasy points just once. And on the high side of things, Maye hit 20+ fantasy points nine times.
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Not only that, Maye showed up when it counted. From Weeks 13-17, Maye hit 20 fantasy points every week. But what really resonates with fantasy managers is how he saved his best for last. In Week 17, with championships on the line, Maye had the best game of his career, posting 32.4 fantasy points.
The amazing part of Maye’s 2025 season is that he did it with a relatively weak supporting cast. 32-year-old Stefon Diggs was his leading receiver, serving as more of a safety valve than a true downfield target. Beyond Diggs, not a single wide receiver reached 50 receptions. Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and DeMario Douglas were all essentially the same player, production-wise.
This year, Diggs is gone, but Maye has a new toy to play with by the name of A.J. Brown. The former Eagles and Titans wide receiver may have shown some signs of decline last season, but he is still a massive upgrade on what Maye has had to work with. As a reminder, Diggs showed signs of decline as well, but was still a highly productive and effective receiver. Brown is three years younger than Diggs was last year.
Maye’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
In recent seasons, it’s been more viable to spend premium draft capital on a quarterback than during the 2010s. The rise of the mobile QB has resulted in the elite fantasy quarterbacks not only having higher ceilings, but being more predictable year over year. That’s what makes Maye’s value so strange. He’s going as the QB7.
Typically, when a young quarterback with the skill set of Maye has his breakout, we see him steamed up draft boards. Yet, Maye is not going anywhere near Josh Allen or even Lamar Jackson in drafts. From that perspective, he sure looks like a value.
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The problem is at his QB3 price tag, the opportunity cost is still quite high. You are passing on a quality running back or wide receiver to select Maye in a season where the quarterback position is as deep as ever.
Elite, difference-making QBs matter. However, history has shown us that the way to truly build a juggernaut fantasy roster is to find that elite, difference-making QB without paying for him. That was Patrick Mahomes in 2018, Jackson in 2019, Daniels in 2024, and Maye in 2025, to name a few relatively recent ones.
We have Maye at QB2 in our consensus rankings. From that angle, it would seem like we’re banging the table for you to draft him. We certainly believe in Maye and this team, but ultimately, the decision to take an elite quarterback has more to do with the other positions than the player himself. That decision is up to you.
Preseason Fantasy QB Rankings
- Josh Allen | BUF
- Drake Maye | NE
- Lamar Jackson | BAL
- Jayden Daniels | WAS
- Joe Burrow | CIN
- Jalen Hurts | PHI
- Caleb Williams | CHI
- Justin Herbert | LAC
- Jaxson Dart | NYG
- Trevor Lawrence | JAX
- Dak Prescott | DAL
- Bo Nix | DEN
- Brock Purdy | SF
- Patrick Mahomes II | KC
- Matthew Stafford | LAR
- Jared Goff | DET
- Kyler Murray | MIN
- Jordan Love | GB
- Malik Willis | MIA
- Tyler Shough | NO
- Baker Mayfield | TB
- C.J. Stroud | HOU
- Sam Darnold | SEA
- Daniel Jones | IND
- Bryce Young | CAR
