The Patriots will be without S Jabrill Peppers for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. After initially listing him as questionable with a shoulder injury, New England downgraded him to out Saturday. Three other key DBs and an edge starter might also be out.
S Kyle Dugger is officially questionable with an ankle injury, but ESPN's Mike Reiss says the Pats "are likely to be without" him for the game. That would leave Jaylinn Hawkins starting at one spot and Dell Pettus likely joining him.
Hawkins is in his fifth NFL season and previously started games for the Falcons and Chargers -- including spending all of 2022 as a starter. Pettus -- I'm pretty sure -- is a player HC Jerod Mayo created on Madden this morning.
In actuality, Pettus is an undrafted rookie who spent five years at Troy and doesn't stand out on college stats, athletic testing (47th-percentile speed score), or size (5'11, 200 pounds).
The secondary might also miss CB Jonathan Jones (shoulder) and/or CB Marcus Jones (groin). Both are questionable, as is Edge Anfernee Jennings (shoulder).
Is all that enough to make Dolphins QB Tyler Huntley an attractive starting option in fantasy? No. Does it add risk to New England as a DST play? Yes.
That said, the matchup -- and other Week 5 options -- keep New England as a top 12 play for the week.
Ready to crush your fantasy football draft? This strategy guide takes you pick-by-pick through a perfect 12-team PPR draft, arming you with expert insights and battle-tested tactics. We'll also point out the critical mistakes you can’t afford to make.
Read More »Are your rankings lying to you? Anyone can glance at a list of names. But tiers reveal the dropoffs and sweet spots that separate smart drafters from the rest. Study them now, own your draft later.
Read More »Non-PPR drafts require a different mindset. Fail to adjust and you'll be playing catch-up all season. This strategy guide walks you through the best picks in every round of your 12-team Non-PPR draft.
Read More »This is an insider feature of Draft Sharks, please upgrade to be an Insider Member
Upgrade to Insider Member
All transactions are secure and encrypted, and we never store your credit card information.