Who Should I Start? DeMario Douglas or Zachariah Branch

Saturday, June 20, 5:25 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas has routinely provided a spark out of the slot, averaging more than 6.2 yards after catch per reception through his first three years in the league, but his waning usage in 2025 led to career lows of 447 yards on only 31 receptions. The arrival of Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator had many calling for a modest breakout based on the past success of slot receivers Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Wes Welker in his system, but with the Patriots opting for a bigger, more physical style of play, Douglas often ceded slot work to the 6'4", 221-pound Mack Hollins and saw a sub-30% snap share in 14 of 17 games. McDaniels has spoken about wanting to get Douglas more involved, but most of the moves made by New England this offseason suggest a path toward even more heavy personnel usage, with Douglas now buried on a depth chart topped by new additions A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. Douglas will continue to have his moments in McDaniels' game plan-specific offense, but outside of RotoBaller's top 300, he is not a player who can be trusted in 2026 fantasy leagues, other than deep best-ball formats.