Stefon Diggs officially inked a 3-year, $69 million deal, with $26 million guaranteed. Diggs will be on his third team in three years and fourth overall. The signing by New England was not much of a surprise, as he had met with them a few days prior, and the Patriots’ desperate need to fill the position. From a pass-catching perspective, New England did not add much when NFL Free Agency kicked off earlier in March.
The fantasy community was wondering what they were doing as they have a budding quarterback going into his second year with no one to throw to. Fantasy players would have filed a grievance for malpractice if they did not use their NFL-leading $100+ million in cap space. The Pats’ adding Diggs gives them the flexibility to choose between Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, or Tet McMillan in the draft instead of forcing them to pick the best WR. Let’s break down how this move impacts both Diggs and Drake Maye’s fantasy outlooks in 2025.
Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs has been an impact wide receiver for a long time in this league. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 draft by the Minnesota Vikings, he had six 1,000-yard seasons before an injury ended his streak in 2024. Now 32, he takes his talents to New England to try and accomplish what he did in Buffalo five seasons ago. Elevate a promising young quarterback’s play. Josh Allen became a Top-3 talent when Diggs came to Buffalo, Mike Vrabel is hoping Diggs can provide that leadership and talent once again.
No one is expecting a thirty-two-year-old wide receiver coming off a torn ACL to be the first team All-Pro that he was in 2020, but Diggs could provide a spark to the desolate New England wide receiver core. Diggs earned himself a contract last season with the Houston Texans, pacing for his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season and three touchdowns. Those eight games last year proved that Stefon Diggs was still Stefon Diggs after Josh Allen no longer looked for him like he once did in 2023.
Diggs’ big question mark is the ACL tear. Davante Adams, who is one year older, had a similar year statistically. The new Patriots’ wide receiver was pacing better than Adams at the time of the injury. But what is that ACL tear going to do to his ability to explode into his route or catch a deep ball? He will have to use the Savvy parts of his game to be the veteran, older player that most great wide receivers become. He has not always been able to accomplish that. Also, he has had some tendencies to put himself over the team, which could be difficult for a New England team coming off a year where they looked as though they had quit at times.
With all of that being said, I expect Stefon Diggs to be a valuable player in 2025. He is tracking as a fifth or sixth-round player in my estimation. A lackluster ceiling, but a higher-floor play, seeing consistent targets from the second-year quarterback, Drake Maye. Diggs will be a wide receiver in 2024, with 700-800 yards and five to seven touchdowns. If he wasn’t coming off of injury, I may replay Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, For President: 2020 Edition in my rankings, but the ACL is too much for me to make the thirty-two-year-old a number one.
Drake Maye Impact
Everyone loved Drake Maye’s performance last season. It was great to see a young quarterback make it work with no weapons and a running back with a case of the fumbles (Rhamondre Stevenson). The only question mark left is what he can do with a competent head coach and a couple of weapons. Jerrod Mayo did not do any favors as the coach-in-waiting to Bill Belichick. He was fired after a tough first year, and another New England product, former linebacker Mike Vrabel. He was hired as his replacement.
Vrabel is often questioned about his offensive prowess, but he brought in long-time Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels to support Drake Maye. Now, they have brought in a wide receiver who has proven his worth in the past, in Diggs, and an OC. Things are looking up for the Sophomore Drake Maye.
Drake Maye is tough, Mobile, fast (for a QB), and is equipped with a great arm. Josh Allen Lite (Free Version of the App) is what I call him. Not that he cannot blossom into something more, we have yet to see the young player have the breakout, but this could be the year with Diggs. Diggs put Allen over that hump and even though he is older, he may provide that steady hand necessary to play. Diggs only has about a third of his contract guaranteed, which is not promising for a long-term commitment, but I could see at least two of the three contracted years kicking in, which would be great for the young QB.
Establishing a connection between Maye and Diggs will be the key to success for the two’s fantasy relevance next year. Drake Maye should have a stable option to go week-to-week, which is different from last year. This should inch him towards being a QB1. I believe that Maye will finish just outside the Top 12 next season. Which should set him and the Patriots up to make a big splash in 2026. This will be his “year before stardom”.