Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday, October 22, 2026, 8:15 PM ET
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Network: AMZN
New England Patriots
Quarterback
Drake Maye: START, QB1
It was fair to doubt Drake Maye with his sluggish start to the season right after his poor playoff performance. But the man has been 🔥en fuego🔥 over his last three, averaging over 300 yards of total offense and over three touchdowns per game. Expect the feast of fantasy points to continue as Chef Maye-ardee is set up to serve up a heaping helping of air yards. Maye’s nine-yard aDOT ranks sixth-highest among QBs, which pairs nicely with the recent return of A.J. Brown. A tasteful 50+ implied game total and dining with a Bears defense tied for the third-highest aDOT allowed in the league, loosen up those waistbands; Drake’s about to eat.
Running Back
Rhamondre Stevenson: START, RB2
TreVeyon Henderson: FLEX, RB4
Corey Kiner: FLEX, RB4
Just when it looked like TreVeyon Henderson was going to be out multiple weeks, he was a surprise active and handled eight touches. Rhamondre Stevenson tied his season low for fantasy points with 3.6 and had his worst yards per carry at 2.6 despite garnering 14 carries (his second-highest total this season). Stevenson is still the most valuable fantasy asset in the New England backfield, but the emergence of Corey Kiner, who had 11 carries of his own last week, has narrowed the range of outcomes. Rhamondre’s a bit riskier of an RB2 with all three involved, and Hendo/Kiner are low-floor FLEX options. The expected shootout makes all three tempting, but the Bears allow the third-fewest points to the position, so be wary.
Wide Receiver
A.J. Brown: START, WR2
DeMario Douglas: FLEX, WR4
Efton Chism III: SIT
The ballyhooed return of A.J. Brown wound up more of a whimper on the field, catching three of 10 targets for a modest 27 yards. But fear not, as this is the week we see Brown’s breakout performance for the Pats. Not only is the game sporting one of the highest totals of the week, but the Bears allow 1.73 yards per route run (the most in the league) and are targeted with deep passes at a 21.4% clip (sixth-highest). With Romeo Doubs placed on IR, it’s DeMario Douglas who makes for an interesting FLEX play as well. Sans Doubs, it’s Douglas who leads the way with a 10.9 average depth of target and sits just behind Brown with a 19.4% air-yard share. Efton Chism III came cratering back to earth, seeing a single target and failing to catch it last week. He shouldn’t be trusted in your lineups this week.
Tight End
Hunter Henry: SIT
Hunter Henry has scored twice in his last three games. The problem is, he’s seeing just four targets a game, and against a Chicago defense tied for the third-fewest catches to tight ends, that’s not a promising formula. I’d prefer to look elsewhere in streamerland this week.
Defense/Special Teams
New England Patriots: STREAMER
The Bears offense is electric, but New England is holding opponents to the fifth-fewest points per game, and Chicago is tied for the fourth-most giveaways.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Caleb Williams: START, QB1
Maybe Caleb Williams just wanted a few weeks off, because the Bears QB looked as polished as ever against Atlanta. Williams threw just one touchdown, but set a franchise record by going 12-for-12 on his first 12 attempts, the most for a Bears quarterback with at least 30 attempts in a game. The Pats have held opposing quarterbacks to the sixth-fewest points at the position, but Williams is pretty close to being one of those guys where matchup doesn’t really matter for fantasy. If he’s active, you start him, and he’s an easy QB1 for the foreseeable future.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: START, RB1
Roschon Johnson: FLEX, RB3
Kyle Monangai: OUT
D’Andre Swift was the RB5 in Week 6, but it’s a bit of a “lipstick on a pig” situation. Sure, two touchdowns is great. But Swift rushed for less than three yards per carry and is averaging less than 50 rushing yards per game over his last three. What’s keeping his fantasy value dolled up is his pass game work (four targets, three catches per game over his last three) and his red zone usage. Swift’s 26 red zone carries rank fourth among running backs on a per-game basis. He should continue to produce fantasy numbers even if it’s ugly in Week 7, as the Pats are a middle-of-the-road matchup but allow 39.3 receiving yards per game to the position, fifth most in the league. Roschon Johnson saw a season-high 13 carries and did more with them, accumulating 51 yards for a 3.9 yards per carry. Nothing to write home about, but better than what Swift produced in terms of efficiency. Kyle Monangai has been ruled out for this tilt, making Johnson a risky FLEX but a viable one with a projected game total over 50.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Luther Burden III: START, WR2
Rome Odunze: FLEX, WR4
Kalif Raymond: SIT
Colston Loveland: START, TE1
Chicago’s pass catchers are quite the conundrum. Luther Burden III arguably played his best game of the season and appeared to be Caleb Williams’ go-to guy, but was on the field for a season low in snaps. Coming off a season-high nine targets in Week 5, Rome Odunze had less than half that in Week 6 and a season-low 39 receiving yards. Kalif Raymond was fun for a few weeks but had his third straight week under four fantasy points and can be dropped in all formats. The guy I hope you didn’t drop is Colston Loveland, who had his best game of the season by far, catching six for 65 and his first touchdown of the year. New England is a tough matchup for both receiver and tight end, but Burden has shown enough over the past four games to be considered a WR2 based on his role. I’m not excited to start Odunze, but he’s averaging 6+ targets over his last three and is a FLEX gamble that may just be worth taking in this potential shootout. Loveland is starting to look like the guy he did down the stretch of last season and can be penciled in as a TE1 this week, especially with four teams on bye.
Defense/Special Teams
Chicago Bears: START
The Bears keep racking up sacks, and only one team has more giveaways than New England. Even if they allow a handful of points, they can produce with sacks and turnovers, especially if early-season Maye shows up on TNF.