The Patriots’ offense had stumbled early in the season, but it seemed to get back on track in Week 4 against the Bills, thanks in part to a big game from WR Romeo Doubs. The free-agent addition hauled in a pair of touchdowns in the team’s upset of Buffalo, and he could be lined up for a big role going forward. Can you trust him enough to make him a good pickup from the Waiver Wire in Week 5?
Is Doubs ready for a surge with the Pats, or was his elevated fantasy production just from his two touchdowns? Let’s dive in and look at Doubs’ big game and whether he makes sense as a waiver wire pickup in Week 5.
Romeo Doubs’ Buildup to a Big Week 4
Doubs didn’t have a catch in his Patriots debut against the Seahawks and had a painfully critical drop on a wide-open pass. He had to step up after that game not only because he struggled but because in that game A.J. Brown (ankle) sustained an injury that landed him on IR.
In Week 2, Doubs caught three passes for 96 yards against the Steelers, producing 12.6 FPTS, but he struggled in Week 3 with only three catches for 49 yards and 7.9 FPTS in the team’s tough loss to the Jaguars.
In Week 4, though, Doubs doubled his catch total for the season, hauling in six of his team-high nine targets for 58 yards and two touchdowns. Even though Efton Chism III stole the spotlight at the very end of the game, it was Doubs’ two touchdowns that helped the Patriots be in position to get the 29-26 win.
Romeo Doubs Fantasy Football Outlook
Chasing touchdowns can be dangerous in fantasy football, though, since if players rely too much on getting into the end zone for their fantasy production, they can be huge letdowns if the scores go in a different direction. Is Doubs going to be one of those players, or does he have the staying power to continue to deliver fantasy value going forward?
The best news for Doubs and the Patriots wasn’t the touchdowns (although those were great); it was the improved play of Drake Maye, who looked more like he did in the regular season last year than his struggles in the playoffs and early this year. Maye threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, and even though he had two turnovers, he put the ball in the right spots for his receivers like Doubs to make plays.
Doubs led the team with nine targets, partly due to the early departure of Mack Hollins with a calf injury. Hollins had three grabs for 53 yards before he left, but he hasn’t been able to return to practice yet this week and could miss time. With Brown still out for at least one more week and Hollins now uncertain, Doubs could be called upon to carry a heavy workload in Week 5’s home game against the Raiders.
While the Raiders have been good against receivers this year, they have been involved in some high-scoring games, and if the Patriots are going to get into a high-scoring game this week, they’ll need Doubs to continue to step up.
Doubs had the potential to be both a deep threat and a red-zone threat, and his work in the end zone last week shows how he can go up and get contested catches. While it took a few weeks for him to find his rhythm with his new team, he looks ready to produce impactful numbers if Maye is right going forward.
The Bottom Line: Add Romeo Doubs in All Formats
Especially if Hollins is out, Doubs will be set for a big target share this week against the Raiders. He makes a great plug-and-play addition if you need help from the waiver wire and also brings good upside going forward if the Patriots’ passing game is back on track. He isn’t necessarily a “must-start” just yet, but he can be a solid FLEX option in Week 5, especially if Hollins is out. In DFS contests like the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] on DraftKings, Doubs is a very affordable WR1 play at only $5,000, and coming off 23.8 FPTS last week, he makes sense as a value play if you’re shopping for a midrange WR.
