Douglas (illness) isn't listed on the Patriots' Week 8 injury report released Wednesday.
An illness limited Douglas to 20 snaps in this past Sunday's 32-16 loss to the Jaguars, but the wideout is evidently back at full strength, given that he avoided the injury report ahead of Sunday's game against the Jets. As a result, Douglas should return to his normal workload this weekend and serve as one of quarterback Drake Maye's preferred targets. While playing roughly six quarters of the two games that Maye has started, Douglas has turned in an 8-106-1 receiving line on 12 targets.
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Patriots' Demario Douglas: Week 8 Waiver Priority List
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Douglas struggled with an illness during Week 7 at Jacksonville and finished with only two catches for 14 yards on three targets. Prior to that, he scored 21.2 PPR points in Week 6 against Houston in Drake Maye's first start, and I like the potential of what Douglas can be with Maye moving forward. The upcoming schedule is tough for Douglas against the Jets, Titans and Bears in the next three games, but Douglas could be a No. 3 PPR receiver based on his role since he has three games with nine targets in his past five outings. He's worth adding for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Iffy to return due to illness
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Douglas is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Jaguars in London due to an illness.
Douglas reeled in two of his three targets for 14 yards before falling ill. He seems to be keeping himself prepared to check back into the game, with Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald noting that Douglas rode the stationary bike on the sideline and took part in some stretching during the third quarter. If Douglas doesn't ultimately return to the contest, the Patriots should provide an update on his condition shortly after the game concludes.
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Patriots' Demario Douglas: Sleeper WRs
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Drake Maye started his first NFL game in Week 6 against Houston, and Douglas had his best game of the year with six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. He now has nine targets in three of his past four games, and I love his matchup in Week 7 against Jacksonville in London. In PPR, Douglas can be considered a borderline starter in all leagues, and hopefully, his connection with Maye will continue all season. The Jaguars are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and 10 receivers have scored at least 12.3 PPR points against Jacksonville this season.
In a true streaming sense, Tutu Atwell or Jordan Whittington may be a better option if Cooper Kupp is out, but we don't know that early in the week, and Douglas got some very encouraging signs last week. First, Drake Maye was a huge improvement over Jacoby Brissett, throwing more touchdowns in Week 6 than Brissett did the first five weeks of the season. Second, Douglas was Maye's clear top target, earning a 29% target share in their first game together. Finally, head coach Jerod Mayo said the team will look into getting Douglas on the field more in two-receiver sets. View Douglas as a WR3 who could be a WR2 for the rest of the season if Week 7 looks like Week 6 did.
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Patriots' Demario Douglas: Week 7 Waiver Priority List
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Douglas looked great in his first game with Drake Maye in Week 6 against Houston and finished with six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. He now has nine targets in three of his past four games, and I love his matchup in Week 7 against Jacksonville in London. In PPR, Douglas can be considered a borderline starter in all leagues, and hopefully his connection with Maye will continue all season. He's worth adding in PPR for 10-15 percent of your remaining FAB. He's worth 10 percent in half-PPR leagues and 5-10 percent in non-PPR formats. In deeper leagues, you can take a flier on Kayshon Boutte (1 percent rostered) after he had three catches for 59 yards and a touchdown on three targets from Maye against Houston.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Scores first NFL TD in Maye's start
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Douglas caught six of nine targets for 92 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 41-21 loss to the Texans.
Douglas' 35-yard touchdown came in the fourth quarter after the result was no longer in doubt, but the 2023 sixth-round draft pick will cherish it all the same as the first touchdown of his NFL career. Douglas was heavily involved throughout Drake Maye's first NFL start under center, leading the team in targets, catches and receiving yards. The slot receiver's off to an up-and-down start, with 19 catches for 220 yards and a touchdown in his three best games and just five catches for 25 yards in three other appearances this season. Douglas is more likely to boom than bust in Week 7 against a Jaguars defense that's giving up 29.7 points per game.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Three catches versus 49ers
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Douglas was one the field for 38 of a possible 64 snaps on offense in Sunday's 30-13 loss to the 49ers, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
After catching seven of nine targets for 69 yards and gaining nine rushing yards on one carry versus the Jets in Week 3, Douglas was held to three catches on as many targets for 13 yards Sunday. For now, he remains a hit-or-miss fantasy option while working in an inconsistent New England offense, but if things pick up for the team's passing game in the coming weeks, the 2023 sixth-rounder should remain involved enough to carve out some PPR utility.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Busy night in Week 3 loss
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Douglas secured seven of nine targets for 69 yards and rushed once for nine yards in the Patriots' 24-3 loss to the Jets on Thursday night.
Douglas was essentially the lone offensive bright spot for the Patriots on the night, posting team-high totals across his receiving line. It was quite the resurgence for the second-year wideout, who'd been blanked altogether, including in targets, during the team's Week 2 overtime loss to the Seahawks. Douglas may prove to be the most consistent member of an inexperienced Patriots receiving corps over time, and he'll look to build on Thursday's momentum in a Week 4 road matchup against the 49ers on Sunday, Sept. 29.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Not targeted Sunday
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Douglas, who logged 38 of 68 snaps on offense in Sunday's 23-20 overtime loss to the Seahawks and went without a target.
Douglas' quiet Week 2 effort occurred in a game in which just five of quarterback Jacoby Brissett's 27 passing attempts went to wide receivers, with Ja'Lynn Polk (41 snaps) seeing three targets and K.J. Osborn (51 snaps) logging two. Afterward, head coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged that getting Douglas more involved needs to be a priority for the Patriots ahead of Thursday's game against the Jets, per Zack Cox of the Boston Herald. However, until such an approach results in added targets for Douglas, the 2023 sixth-round pick will be a low-percentage option in fantasy lineups.
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Patriots' Demario Douglas: Stashes (WR Preview)
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I don't really want to start a Patriots wide receiver until they make the switch to Drake Maye, but they have three solid stash candidates. The first is Demario Douglas, who is the favorite to lead the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. Douglas earned seven targets per game after Kendrick Bourne went down last year and Bourne is starting the year on the PUP. I'm also looking to stash Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Catches three passes from Maye
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Douglas recorded three receptions (on four targets) for 14 yards in Sunday's 20-10 preseason loss to the Commanders.
Douglas played exclusively in three-receiver sets, but he was still among the snap leaders for the Patriots in their first several offensive possessions as he worked primarily alongside Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn. His longest catch of the day came on a third down midway through the first quarter that went for 16 yards and was delivered by Drake Maye. More importantly, Douglas looks to be the starting slot receiver for the Patriots heading into a Week 1 matchup against the Bengals.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Moves past hand issue
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Douglas (hand) has shed his red no-contact jersey, Mike Dussault of the Patriots' official site reports.
Douglas, who had previously been wearing a no-contact jersey in practice as he managed what he described as a minor hand injury, sat out the Patriots' preseason opener last week. Now that he's back to working without any restrictions, the second-year pass catcher could see action in this Thursday's exhibition contest against the Eagles. As the coming season approaches, Douglas is poised to maintain a key/steady role in New England's WR corps, a context that should allow the 2023 sixth-rounder to remain on the fantasy radar regardless which QB ( Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye) is throwing him passes.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Back in non-contact jersey
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As Friday's practice progressed, Douglas returned to wearing a red (non-contact) jersey, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
During the early portion of the session, Douglas worked without the red jersey, but it appears as though the wideout continues to exercise caution with what he has described as a minor hand injury. With that in mind, Douglas' Week 1 status is in no apparent danger, but it remains to be seen if he'll take the field in Thursday's preseason opener against the Panthers.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Sheds non-contact jersey
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Douglas (hand) didn't sport a red (non-contact) jersey during the initial portion of Friday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Douglas had been practicing with a red jersey due to what he described as a minor hand injury, but the 2023 sixth-rounder appears to be moving past the issue. As the coming season approaches, Douglas is expected to maintain a steady role in a crowded Patriots WR corps that parted ways with DeVante Parker this offseason but added 2024 second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker, along with veteran free agent K.J. Osborn. Meanwhile, Kendrick Bourne continues to bounce back from a knee injury and returnees JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Reagor, Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte are also competing for slotting. While there's plenty to sort out in the coming weeks, Douglas nonetheless figures to be a key target for whichever QB ( Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye) is behind center for the team.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Logs 7-on-7 snaps
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Douglas, who has been dealing with a hand issue, participated in 7-on-7 drills Tuesday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
Douglas sported a red (non-contact) jersey Tuesday, but the wideout's participation in 7-on-7 drills solidifies the notion that his hand issue wasn't a major concern. As the coming season approaches, Douglas has an opportunity to claim a key role in a crowded New England receiving corps that parted ways with DeVante Parker this offseason while adding 2024 second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker, as well veteran free agent K.J. Osborn.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Labeled day-to-day
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Coach Jerod Mayo said Friday that Douglas (hand) is "day-to-day" and only dealing with a minor injury, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.
Douglas' hand injury has limited him from yet taking part in team drills at training camp, but it doesn't appear that he's dealing with anything long-term. The second-year pro reportedly impressed at spring practices, and once back on the field at training camp he'll work to continue building some positive momentum. There are opportunities up for grabs in New England's crowded wide receiver room -- and Douglas was one of the offense's lone bright spots as a rookie -- but he faces competition from 2024 second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker, as well as free-agency arrival K.J. Osborn.
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Patriots' DeMario Douglas: Shines at spring practices
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Douglas was the Patriots' "best and most explosive playmaker" at spring practices, according to Chad Graff of The Athletic.
Douglas led the team in receiving last season as a rookie sixth-round pick, albeit with only 561 yards and nary a touchdown. Around 65 percent of his snaps and production came from the slot, which presents a potential complication for a New England offense with three veteran WRs -- Kendrick Bourne (knee), K.J. Osborn and JuJu Smith-Schuster -- that are arguably at their best working inside. All three are at least 6-foot, 200 pounds, while Douglas is much shorter (5-foot-8, 192) but also the fastest (4.44 40) and most agile of the bunch. New Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt should find a way to keep Douglas involved, even if it means leaving Smith-Schuster and/or Osborn out of the rotation or bringing the team's rookie WRs along slowly (second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker).
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Patriots' Demario Douglas: Minimal production in snow
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Douglas caught two of five targets for 13 yards in Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Jets.
As if catching passes from Bailey Zappe against the stout Jets secondary wasn't tough enough on its own, Douglas also had to contend with a snowstorm. The 2023 sixth-round draft pick showed some promise this season with 49 catches for 561 yards on 78 targets, though he failed to score a touchdown across 14 games as a rookie. The Patriots will likely try to bolster their wide-receiver room in the offseason, but Douglas could also benefit from a potential upgrade at quarterback, which could come via the Patriots' third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Patriots' Demario Douglas: Three catches in Sunday's loss
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Douglas caught three of five targets for 31 yards in Sunday's 27-21 loss to the Bills.
It was modest production, but Douglas actually led the Patriots' wide receiver corps in targets, in part due to the early exit of DeVante Parker (ribs). Douglas has hauled in at least three passes in eight straight games for which he's been active dating back to Week 7, posting a 37-405-0 line on 56 targets during that time. The rookie wideout will look to end his season with a splash in Week 18 against the Jets.
