New England Patriots vs. Las Vegas Raders Matchup Breakdown For Fantasy Football Week 5

• Spread: Patriots -3.5
• Total: 45.0
• Score Prediction (from our NFL Betting Game Model): NE 25, LV 20

Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Preview

Apparently, age is just a number when it comes to quarterbacking. Who’d have thunk it? At 38 years old, Kirk Cousins is fantasy football’s QB9, running a three-game streak of +20-point performances, all good for top-10 positional finishes. And if you eliminated any rushing points? He’s the QB4! New HC Klint Kubiak (who’s just a year older than Cousins) clearly has the proper coach-to-QB mindmeld formed to win NFL games. Start Kirko Chainz until the wheels fall off.

Ashton Jeanty’s averaging over 18 points/game and, for all intents and purposes, is having a pretty nice fantasy season. However, there’s simultaneously some real cause for concern here, which I believe stems from that same ankle injury. Jeanty’s usage remains elite (97 UR; 19.5 rush/game, 17,5% team target share), but his efficiency on the ground can only suffer so long before it starts to cost him opportunities. At 3.4 yards/attempt, 2.81 yards after contact per carry, -0.25 EPA/rush, and 28.2% gaining zero or negative yards, it should stand as no surprise that rookie backup Mike Washington’s closing the carry share more and more each week.

The entire Raiders’ aerial attack uniquely revolves around tight ends, and notice that’s pluralized. Of course, since alpha dog Brock Bowers returned, he’s the gravitational force of the Raiders’ game plan (24.1 points/game, 30.1% target/route, 2.43 yards/route). However, it’s the Michael Mayer usage that deserves equal attention.

Through two weeks of the season, LV ran 12-personnel just 35.4% of the time — and now, that number’s absolutely spiked to over 84% since Bowers returned. Long story short, Kubiak understands where his talent lies. Outside of Tre Tucker, there’s no other real threat to a secondary, especially one as stingy as the Patriots. For my money, Mayer’s the only backup TE in the league worth an automatic weekly nod.

• Start: QB Kirk Cousins, RB Ashton Jeanty, TE Brock Bowers, TE Michael Mayer
• Sit: WR Cody White
• Sleeper: WR Tre Tucker

New England Patriots

Hopefully you heeded my call last week to stay the course on the Patriots and Drake Maye, who finally scored +21 points for the first time this season. Maye was always too talented to stink for this long, so it always seemed fitting for him to hang an overall QB1 week on the board (269-3-1; 8-54-0), just as fantasy managers decided to throw in the towel. Vegas brings a lot of pressure up front; expect Maye to be on the move constantly again.

After months of tireless debate over the Patriots’ backfield, the jury’s still out with both sides currently looking like a loser. Through a full month of play, it’s hard to believe neither RB’s managed to crack a single top-15 positional finish. Also, strangely enough, since TreVeyon Henderson’s return, we’ve experienced a bit of a role reversal.

The explosive second-year player’s actually leading NE in carries 36-28 since Week 2, but remains unable to separate since Rhamondre Stevenson’s commanding an uncharacteristic 13.6% of the team target share. Stand pat on both with a good matchup on deck — Vegas is 31st in yards allowed/rush (5.2).

New England’s receiver room’s hanging on by a thread, having already dealt with the loss of A.J. Brown. Then, leading WR Mack Hollins hurt his calf, which will cost him some time. Laugh all you want at the barefoot enigma, but with such strong advanced metrics (22.0% target/route, 2.30 yards/route) at a full complement of snaps, Hollins represented a weekly flex option.

Bump de facto WR1 Romeo Doubs up your ranks as chemistry grows with Maye, with one eye fixed on Efton Chism. After Hollins departed Sunday, the second-year UDFA put up a nice game (2-42-1), filling an every-down role mixing both out wide and from the slot as the Pats’ WR2 behind Doubs. Add him now and ask questions later. Especially with byes on the horizon, a full-time player on a good offense may be all we can ask for.

• Start: QB Drake Maye, RB TreVeyon Henderson, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, WR Romeo Doubs, TE Hunter Henry
• Sit: WR DeMario Douglas
• Sleeper: WR Efton Chism

Next Week's Bold Headline, Today

Let New England’s good times roll as nature begins to heal. Vegas was never that good; the Pats were never that bad, and Drake Maye reminds everyone why he was considered for MVP in 2025.