Last season, Drake Maye was the popular late-round quarterback likely to break out similar to how Jayden Daniels did the year prior. Sometimes, things go exactly to plan. Maye took that leap and became an elite QB1. The question is whether he can build upon that in year two. By all accounts, the New England Patriots are setting him up to succeed.
Should You Draft Drake Maye in Fantasy Football?
Sometimes, the fantasy community gets it right. Last year, just about everyone was highlighting Maye as the quarterback to target late in fantasy drafts if you didn’t take an elite one. It really couldn’t have worked out any better.
In his second season, equipped with a massive upgrade in coaching staff going from Jerod Mayo to Mike Vrabel, Maye took the leap. He averaged 20.7 fantasy points per game, finishing as the QB2.
Maye was the exact type of player fantasy managers want at quarterback. He had the same ceiling as the likes of Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, while also possessing a very high floor. Maye didn’t have a single game below 12.0 fantasy points all season. He failed to reach roughly 16 fantasy points just once. And on the high side of things, Maye hit 20+ fantasy points nine times.
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Not only that, Maye showed up when it counted. From Weeks 13-17, Maye hit 20 fantasy points every week. But what really resonates with fantasy managers is how he saved his best for last. In Week 17, with championships on the line, Maye had the best game of his career, posting 32.4 fantasy points.
The amazing part of Maye’s 2025 season is that he did it with a relatively weak supporting cast. 32-year-old Stefon Diggs was his leading receiver, serving as more of a safety valve than a true downfield target. Beyond Diggs, not a single wide receiver reached 50 receptions. Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and DeMario Douglas were all essentially the same player, production-wise.
This year, Diggs is gone, but Maye has a new toy to play with by the name of A.J. Brown. The former Eagles and Titans wide receiver may have shown some signs of decline last season, but he is still a massive upgrade on what Maye has had to work with. As a reminder, Diggs showed signs of decline as well, but was still a highly productive and effective receiver. Brown is three years younger than Diggs was last year.
Maye also has the skill set of a modern fantasy quarterback. He’s a prolific passer who also has the requisite mobility. 17.9% of his fantasy points last season came from rushing, which is right around what we want to see from quarterbacks with elite upside. Rushing production is much stickier year to year and a stronger indicator that Maye can repeat or even improve upon his numbers from last season.
Maye’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
In recent seasons, it’s been more viable to spend premium draft capital on a quarterback than during the 2010s. The rise of the mobile QB has resulted in the elite fantasy quarterbacks not only having higher ceilings, but being more predictable year over year. That’s what makes Maye’s value so strange. He’s going as the QB7.
Typically, when a young quarterback with the skill set of Maye has his breakout, we see him steamed up draft boards. Yet, Maye is not going anywhere near Josh Allen or even Lamar Jackson in drafts. From that perspective, he sure looks like a value.
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The problem is at his QB3 price tag, the opportunity cost is still quite high. You are passing on a quality running back or wide receiver to select Maye in a season where the quarterback position is as deep as ever.
There are several quarterbacks with QB1 upside and even legitimate top five upside going outside the top 12. Maye has proven top five upside, but is he seven rounds better than Jordan Love or Malik Willis? That will be up to you to decide.
Elite, difference-making QBs matter. However, history has shown us that the way to truly build a juggernaut fantasy roster is to find that elite, difference-making QB without paying for him. That was Patrick Mahomes in 2018, Jackson in 2019, Daniels in 2024, and Maye in 2025, to name a few relatively recent ones.
We have Maye at QB2 in our consensus rankings. From that angle, it would seem like we’re banging the table for you to draft him. We certainly believe in Maye and this team, but ultimately, the decision to take an elite quarterback has more to do with the other positions than the player himself. That decision is up to you.
Maye’s Dynasty Fantasy Football Value
In dynasty Superflex formats, Maye is one of the most valuable players you can have. There is an argument to be made that he should be the overall QB1. We have him at QB2, but Josh Allen is 30 years old. Maye is only 24. He’s got way more runway in front of him. Plus, it’s fair to say we haven’t seen the best of Maye yet.
With both Allen and Jackson at or pushing 30, the end may be closer for them than we realize. That is not the case for Maye.
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From Randall Cunningham to Daunte Culpepper to Donovan McNabb to Michael Vick to Cam Newton to Russell Wilson, all of them were pretty much done by age 33. There’s a very realistic chance Allen and Jackson start to fall off within the next 3-4 years.
Now, to be fair, 3-4 years is a long time. Look at fantasy football ADP from 2022, and it will feel like a lifetime ago with how different it is. But at a position where the truly elite typically play for 15+ years, having a likely maximum of a half-decade is something to consider. Meanwhile, Maye should be able to play for another 15 years.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.