Should I Draft Drake Maye? Fantasy Outlook for the Patriots QB in 2025

Drake Maye was one of three first-round quarterbacks not to start right away last season. Once he took over, the New England Patriots didn’t necessarily start winning games, but the offense looked far more competent. Now entering year two, is Maye ready to take his game to the next level, making him an ideal late-round target for fantasy football managers?

Drake Maye Fantasy Outlook

Half of the historic six quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft did not start in Week 1. The Patriots opted to go with Jacoby Brissett until the team’s performance forced their hand. That happened in Week 6, when Maye made his first start.

Immediately, Maye displayed QB1 upside. His 21.5 fantasy points from his first full game were his best effort of the season. Most notably, Maye showcased his rushing upside, running for 38 yards in that contest.

Maye was understandably overshadowed by Jayden Daniels’s greatest rookie season in NFL history, Caleb Williams’s top pick and appearance on “Hard Knocks,” and Bo Nix’s leading the Broncos to the playoffs. Of the top three picks, Maye was the only one who did not start immediately.

This has created a value proposition for Maye heading into 2025 fantasy drafts, at least for now. There are a lot of quarterbacks with 20 fantasy points per game upside. As a result, Maye’s ADP is well outside the top 12 quarterbacks. But he can give us a QB1 season.

MORE: Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator

Maye’s 14.4 PPG average is fake. It includes the 2.1 points he scored when he made his NFL debut in Week 3 for only a handful of plays, and his zero points in Week 18 when he played just three snaps. If we remove those two games, Maye posted 16.8 PPG, which is much more respectable.

This year, the Patriots added reliable veteran WR Stefon Diggs, rookie third-rounder Kyle Williams, and a receiving back in TreVeyon Henderson. Maye is also another year older and has an experienced, competent head coach. Plus, Josh McDaniels is back. Say what you want about McDaniels as a head coach (nothing positive, that’s for sure), but he’s proven to be a very effective offensive coordinator.

It goes without saying that what makes Maye so appealing is his rushing, which has gone from a cheat code in fantasy to almost a necessity. But I’m not sure fantasy managers truly appreciated how mobile Maye is.

Every positive dropback vs. pressure for Drake Maye in 2024 👇

(As measured by EPA – Expected points added) https://t.co/VXhGuvfPKu pic.twitter.com/eDDg9EJy9W

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) May 28, 2025

Last season, Maye averaged 32.4 rushing yards per game. That’s an extra 3.2 PPG on the ground before accounting for touchdowns. The thing is, that very well may be Maye’s rushing floor.

The Patriots made it well known that, in a lost season, they would not put their franchise QB at risk in his first season for nothing. Almost all of Maye’s rushing production came from scrambles as the Patriots refused to design any runs for him to protect him.

QB Scrambles vs. Designed Rush Attempts in 2024

Daniels (42.8) is the only rookie to average more Scramble YPG than Drake Maye (31.3) over the past four seasons.

But the Patriots used Maye on fewer designed runs per game than Jared Goff. pic.twitter.com/fbXz022YlS

— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) May 10, 2025

That will change this year. Expect plenty of read options and straight-up designed QB rushes. If Maye could get to 30 rushing yards per game without intentional runs, imagine what he can do with 2-3 designed QB rushes per game?

I have Maye ranked as my QB12. That is well above consensus, but it might not be so bold by the end of August. Either way, Maye is part of my “elite QB or late-round QB” strategy. Maye is one of the most appealing later-round options if I do not take one early. With his rushing ability raising his floor, Maye could be a surprise top-five fantasy quarterback if things break right this season.

Mason LeBeau’s Drake Maye Fantasy Projection

Drake Maye may be the bizarro version of Caleb Williams. The Bears quarterback was the superior prospect but struggled in a bad situation last year and now gets plenty of shiny upgrades around him. Maye, a strong prospect himself, was given more time to sit before entering a bad season, and while his base stats came out worse, his play looked much better. Maye did not get the shiny upgrades but rather the structural ones with coaching and offensive line improvements. 

Even if you aren’t positive of Maye’s situation, his rushing upside is going well under the radar considering his ~QB17 price. His per-17 rushing yards would have been north of 500 yards, and opportunities around the goal line should increase as well, giving him a healthy bump over his two touchdowns in 2024. Overshadowed by Jayden Daniels, Maye’s rushing gives him a healthy floor. 

He’s worth a shot, even if you’re skeptical of the Patriots. They begin the season with games against the Raiders, Dolphins, Steelers, and Panthers. An incredibly forgiving start to the season can carry a lot of weight for Maye, making him a strong trade candidate if your skepticism remains. 

Currently, his playoff schedule isn’t so nice, so it may be savvy to bet on him early and look to pivot to a desperate team. That makes him an ideal starting quarterback in 1QB, allowing you to invest less and still find a long-term option.