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Stefon Diggs New England Patriots

The New England Patriots brought in a multitude of assets to help accelerate the development of second-year quarterback Drake Maye entering the 2025 NFL season. The biggest of those additions at the WR position was Stefon Diggs.

After suffering a torn ACL in the middle of the 2024 campaign, many NFL analysts are quick to dismiss a bounce-back year for Diggs in his first year with the Patriots.

Yet, there are some believers out there who still believe the veteran WR can have a big impact for his new team in 2025.

Patriots WR Stefon Diggs Named a Fantasy Football Sleeper for 2025 NFL Season

Mike Fanelli of FantasyPros named Patriots WR Stefon Diggs as a fantasy football sleeper entering the 2025 NFL season.

“Unfortunately, Diggs suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 last season. However, the veteran was playing well before getting hurt, ranking as the WR6 over the first seven weeks, averaging 7.9 targets and 15.6 PPR fantasy points per game despite splitting targets with Nico Collins and Tank Dell,” wrote Fanelli. “More importantly, he is the unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver in what should be a significantly improved Patriots’ passing attack. If the veteran wide receiver is ready for Week 1, Diggs should end the year no lower than a high-end WR3.”

Fanelli isn’t the only analyst who believes in a bounce-back year for the veteran wideout. Joel Corry of CBS Sports also sees Diggs being a productive player in 2025.

“It was evident that Nico Collins was the Houston Texans’ primary receiving option before Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee last October. Nonetheless, Diggs caught 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games,” wrote Corry. “The lowest statistical thresholds for Diggs’ $4.5 million in 2025 incentives are 70 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving. If Diggs doesn’t earn any of the incentives, he probably won’t get a second year with the Patriots.”

A return to his 2020 form probably isn’t in the range of outcomes for Diggs this year, but he could become the go-to option for a young quarterback in desperate need of reliable pass catchers.

Diggs Could Accelerate Drake Maye’s Development Under Center in 2025

The narrative that Diggs is a washed veteran receiver may be a bit overblown based on what we saw from him when he was on the football field in 2024.

Benjamin Solak of ESPN saw enough from the veteran WR to name him as the team’s ‘X Factor’ entering the 2025 NFL season.

“The new Patriots brass was heavily involved in the veteran wide receiver market this year, eventually landing on 31-year-old Diggs to be the WR1 as they look to keep Maye on his positive developmental track,” wrote Solak. “Diggs is recovering from a torn ACL in Week 8 last season, but reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated. He was averaging 2.0 yards per route run last season on a 25.3% target rate, both above league average for an NFL wide receiver (minimum 200 routes). True, he wasn’t used as much downfield (8.7 air yards per target, a career low). But he was a reliable winner in the short-to-intermediate areas.”

Diggs once helped another AFC East quarterback, Josh Allen, take the step from a promising, talented young quarterback to a star in the league back in 2020.

Could history repeat itself if Diggs is fully healthy to start the year? Only time will tell.

Derek Tate covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Heavy.com from 2022 to 2023. His bylines include Pro Football Network, The Athletic, Dr. Roto, Fantasy Focused and NewsNet. More about Derek Tate