Patriots at Seahawks

• Two heavyweight offenses meet in Week 1. New England finished #2 in scoring last season at 28.8 points per game, with Seattle right behind them at #3 with 28.4.
• Both offenses finished inside the top eight in yards per game and yards per play.
• With the O/U sitting at 44.5, this isn't going to be a 10–3 season opener. Points will be scored.

• Seattle had the 2nd-lowest blitz rate in the NFL last year. It didn't matter. Their four-man rush ranked 11th in sack rate at 7.32% and 7th in sacks per game. Bottom line: the four-man rush was getting it done.
• New England was the 3rd-worst red-zone defense in the NFL last year, allowing a whopping 67.5% of red-zone visits to end in touchdowns.
• Seattle: This is much more about continuity. Most of the defense that finished #1 in points allowed returns. The biggest losses are EDGE Boye Mafe, CB Riq Woolen, and S Coby Bryant. Seattle replaced Mafe with veteran Dante Fowler Jr. (58.5 career sacks), while Josh Jobe should take a larger role at corner. At safety, Ty Okada and rookie second-rounder Bud Clark are among the options replacing Bryant.
• New England: The biggest addition is S Kevin Byard III, coming off a first-team All-Pro season with 7 INTs. The Patriots also added DE Dre'Mont Jones, who had a career-high 7 sacks in 2025. Notable losses include K'Lavon Chaisson, Khyiris Tonga, Jahlani Tavai and Anfernee Jennings. Harold Landry begins the season on PUP, which could have an immediate impact on New England's Week 1 pass rush.

Drake Maye

• Maye enters Year 3 after establishing himself as one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks in 2025. He led qualified QBs in completion percentage (72.0%), yards per attempt (8.93) and passer rating (113.5), while throwing for 4,394 yards, 31 TDs and just 8 INTs.
• The rushing upside makes him even more dangerous for fantasy. Maye led qualified QBs with 62 scrambles and a 10.3% scramble rate, adding 450 yards and 4 TDs on the ground. He finished at 20.75 fantasy points per game in our data, good for QB3.
• The concern is protection. Maye ranked 27th in sack rate at 8.7% and 23rd in QB hit rate at 16.3%. That's worth watching against a Seattle defense that was able to generate pressure without needing to blitz.

Sam Darnold

• Darnold quietly put together another very efficient season in 2025. He threw for 4,048 yards and 25 TDs, while finishing #2 among qualified QBs in yards per attempt (8.49) and #11 in passer rating (99.1).
• He was also excellent pushing the ball downfield, ranking #1 in deep YPA (18.45) and #2 in deep completion percentage (52.8%).
• The fantasy production didn't match the passing efficiency. Darnold averaged just 14.32 fantasy points per game, ranking QB23 in our data, with only 95 rushing yards and no rushing TDs.

New England Patriots

• TreVeyon Henderson: Henderson flashed big-play ability as a rookie, averaging 5.06 yards per carry (#6) with 6 runs of 20+ yards (#11). He scored 9 rushing TDs and averaged 12.13 PPR points per game (#25). The question for Year 2 is volume — he averaged just 10.6 carries and 12.7 touches per game last season.
• Rhamondre Stevenson: Stevenson was nearly identical to Henderson in overall production at 67.7 total yards per game and 12.49 PPR points per game. He was especially dangerous as a receiver, averaging 10.78 yards per reception (#1), and actually had more 20+ yard runs than Henderson despite fewer carries. The concern remains ball security after 3 fumbles lost last season.

Seattle Seahawks

• Jadarian Price: Seattle spent the 32nd overall pick on Price after his career at Notre Dame, and he'll get an immediate opportunity with Zach Charbonnet starting the season on PUP. Price brings legitimate home-run speed and is expected to handle much of the early-down work. With no NFL track record yet, Week 1 will give us our first real look at how Seattle plans to use its rookie first-rounder.
• George Holani: Holani's 2025 NFL sample was tiny — just 22 carries for 73 yards and 1 TD — but his role should be much larger to open 2026. Seattle is expected to split the backfield between Price and Holani, with Holani potentially handling a significant share of the third-down, short-yardage and goal-line work. This may be less of a traditional RB1/RB2 setup and more of a situational split.

New England Patriots

• New England completely reloaded the weapons around Drake Maye this offseason. A.J. Brown arrives after his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, finishing 2025 with 78 catches, 1,003 yards and 7 TDs. The Patriots also added Romeo Doubs, who had 55 catches for 724 yards and 6 TDs last year. Add those two to DeMario Douglas and an offense that already had Maye leading the NFL in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating, and it's fair to wonder just how much more explosive this passing game can become in 2026.

Seattle Seahawks

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba: JSN wasn't just Seattle's best receiver last season — he was one of the best receivers in football. He led the entire NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, catching 119 passes with 10 TDs and averaging 105.5 receiving yards per game. Even more impressive, he did it in a Seattle offense that didn't need to throw at a massive volume. There isn't much mystery about where Sam Darnold wants to go with the football. The challenge for New England is figuring out how to stop it.
• Cooper Kupp & Rashid Shaheed: JSN is the clear headliner, but Seattle still has veteran weapons around him. Kupp added 47 catches for 593 yards last season, while Shaheed finished with 59 catches for 687 yards between New Orleans and Seattle. Shaheed's speed gives the offense another vertical threat, while Kupp remains a reliable underneath and intermediate option. Defenses can't put all of their attention on JSN.

New England Patriots

• Hunter Henry: Henry was one of Drake Maye's favorite weapons in the red zone last season, finishing with 22 red-zone targets (#3 among TEs), 14 receptions and 5 TDs. That usage may be difficult to sustain in 2026. With A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs added to a much deeper WR room, Maye has significantly more options when New England gets close to the goal line.

Seattle Seahawks

• Tight end wasn't a major focus of Seattle's passing attack last season. A.J. Barner led the group with 68 targets, 52 catches, 519 yards and 6 TDs, while Elijah Arroyo added just 26 targets. With JSN commanding a huge share of the passing game, Seattle's tight ends were complementary pieces rather than the focal point of the offense.

Don't Forget About the Legs

• Andy Borregales: New England gave Borregales plenty of scoring opportunities last year. He connected on 27 of 32 field goals (84.4%), including a perfect 4-for-4 from 50+ yards. His long was 59 yards, so range isn't an issue.
• Jason Myers: Myers was busy too, making 41 field goals last season — one of the biggest kicking totals in football. He finished at 85.4% and also showed plenty of leg, going 9-for-12 from 50+ with a long of 57 yards. In a game featuring two high-powered offenses, don't overlook the fantasy potential for either kicker.