The New England Patriots struggled in Week 3 against the New York Jets. However, one bright spot for the team was DeMario Douglas, who saw nine targets and created seven receptions for 69 yards.
Good things tend to happen when DeMario Douglas touches the ball.
pic.twitter.com/Iay3tCbQPi— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) September 17, 2024
The Patriots’ offense does not build excitement for the fantasy football community, but sometimes the best fantasy points come from “boring” plays. Can Douglas keep this production level up for Week 4, or will we be chasing fools gold on the waiver wire for a player who is only rostered in 14% of Sleeper leagues this season?
Let’s examine some key insights to help us correctly identify the path we should take regarding Douglas in fantasy football.
Should DeMario Douglas Be Added on the Fantasy Waiver Wire in Week 4?
Although he had a strong performance, we must practice restraint from recency bias and avoid selecting Douglas on Week 4 waivers. Douglas has not created 100 total receiving yards in the three games this season. His 75 route runs are 65th overall on TruMedia in the wide receiver department.
Douglas is a “PPR Scam” wide receiver. This title means he gathers all his points from receptions, and you shouldn’t target him in any other fantasy scoring system. His 9.0 yards per reception is 88th best in the NFL, which shows his propensity to operate near the line of scrimmage. His lackluster total of air yards per target would make more sense for a tight end than a wide receiver, as he recorded six total air yards per target. This total is the 82nd-highest in the NFL for wide receivers.
He has also only created four first downs for the Patriots offense. This low total is not all on Douglas, as the Patriots’ offensive line makes it nearly impossible for Jacoby Brissett to operate a functioning offense.
Next week, the challenging season doesn’t get any easier as the Patriots challenge the San Francisco 49ers. Although the 49ers are susceptible to the pass, their ability to create pressure while facing this college-level offensive line should cause enough chaos to make any Patriots wide receiver impossible to start in Week 4.
The road doesn’t get much easier for Douglas as the Patriots face a challenging schedule throughout 2024 for a team that struggled in 2023. After the 49ers, the Patriots face the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, the New York Jets (again), and the Tennessee Titans. There seems to be cloudy skies for the Patriots wide receiver for a long stretch of his 2024 fantasy season.
Douglas should tumble in our Consensus Rankings, and you should avoid him on your waivers to help elevate your team in Week 4 to victory.