DeMario

Douglas

Douglas continued to operate in his slot role for screens, swing passes, and end-arounds. A botched first half exchange on a pitch from Drake Maye led to a fumble, but he came back the next drive to catch a 36-yard touchdown. Douglas has been a regular contributor for Drake Maye and company and should stick around as a WR4/5 heading into Week 18.

The Patriots did a good job of using Douglas creatively, throwing to him at varying depths and even involving him in the run game. Douglas nearly hauled in a diving fourth-quarter end zone target when the Patriots were in comeback mode but the replay ultimately showed him losing control of the football and the play was overturned. Hopefully, Douglas’ creative usage continues against the Chargers in Week 17, otherwise he will be forced to take on talented slot CB Ja’Sir Taylor all day long.

Douglas saved an otherwise meager fantasy day with a three-yard score on the Patriots’ penultimate drive. It was just his second touchdown of the season. Pop’s weekly floor of three to four catches is keeping him in the WR5 range, but there isn’t much ceiling to be had with the slot receiver. He has topped 62 yards once this year and is unlikely to give fantasy managers a spike week versus the Bills next Sunday.

Pop entered Sunday with a questionable designation because of an ankle issue. He was cleared ahead of kickoff, but the Pats relegated him to check-down duties for this game. Douglas has at least four catches in five straight games but has topped out at 62 receiving yards over that stretch. He will be a low-ceiling WR5/6 versus the Cardinals following New England’s Week 14 bye.

Douglas was listed as questionable for Week 13 after being limited in all three practices. He enters Sunday as a low-ceiling WR4. Inactive for the Patriots are WR K.J. Osborn, S Marte Mapu, QB Joe Milton, OG Leser Cotton, OG Tyrese Robinson, DT Jaquelin Roy, and DE Titus Leo.

Douglas was listed as questionable after getting in three limited practices this week. Douglas’s role as New England’s primary slot receiver has allowed him to hit nine PPR points four games in a row. On the other hand, his low aDOT targets don’t lend themselves to explosive plays, capping him at 11.3 fantasy points in those four contests. Douglas will remain a low-ceiling WR4/5 for his Week 13 game versus the Colts.

Douglas was limited in all three practices this week. His continued participation suggests the team is effectively managing the issue but it’s possible his post-catch abilities are mildly limited on game day. Douglas has finished between WR31-WR40 in four straight games and he must now face the Colts’ best DB, slot CB Kenny Moore II while playing through an injury.

Pop pops up on the injury report with an ankle designation ahead of Week 13’s game with the Colts. Given the early week and the fact that it’s only a limited tag, we’d expect him to be able to play. Thursday and Friday’s statuses will tell more of the score.

Douglas is the most explosive playmaker on the Patriots’ offense. Most of his catches on Sunday were slant routes where he was able to show more acceleration and athleticism than most other players on the field. However, he also lost a costly fumble as the Patriots were trying to mount a comeback. The team seems uninterested in using Douglas as a full-time receiver, keeping him on the field when they go into three-receiver sets, so that limits his upside. He’s a WR5 bench stash until they start to get him on the field more.

Douglas led the Patriots’ receiver corps in targets, but Hunter Henry drew more overall looks. Douglas also got out-gained by an un-benched Kendrick Bourne. Maxed out as a low-upside, PPR-based WR4, Douglas is the kind of player who “feels” like he should be rostered, but can also be cut loose in stretch-run business decisions.