Who Should I Start? C.J. Stroud or Drake Maye

Friday, November 6, 6:54 PM

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye won't have his top two targets available against the Green Bay Packers in Week 9, but that hasn't stopped him from producing as a mid-to-high fantasy QB1 in the past. With A.J. Brown (knee) ruled out and Romeo Doubs (shoulder) on injured reserve, Maye will once again find himself throwing to a combination of DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III, Kyle Williams, Rhamondre Stevenson, Hunter Henry, and Eli Raridon. There's also a chance that Mack Hollins (calf) return from injured reserve. Those aren't the flashiest names, but Maye prevailed with 199 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown while throwing to the same group of receivers in Miami last week. Since the start of Week 4, he is the highest-scoring player in fantasy football, and he earned that ranking despite completing just six passes to Brown. The point is that Maye has a strong track record of high-end QB1 production without his top receiver available, so managers shouldn't feel concerned about starting him in Week 9. We're also not very concerned about the matchup; the Packers have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, but that ranking is driven by their 10 interceptions, which ranks third-highest in the NFL. Maye has just one turnover over his last four games, so we're not concerned about the Packers' defense. The 24-year-old MVP runner-up ranks as the overall QB4 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 9.