The Patriots will play the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon to begin the 2020 season.

Analysis: It's a bit of a revenge game for the Patriots, as the Dolphins beat them in Week 17 last year, taking away their bye week. The Patriots are bound to regress from last year's record-breaking production on defense, especially with the losses of leading tacklers Jamie Collins (81) and Dont'a Hightower). Since Collins led the team in sacks (seven) and Kyle Van Noy (6.5) -- who left for Miami -- finished second, the pass rush takes a hit as well. Luckily, the Patriots have some time to regroup, as…read more

The Patriots led the league with 14.1 points allowed per game in 2019.

Analysis: The Patriots D/ST rivaled QB Lamar Jackson as the best late-round steal for most of the year, but its production tapered off after the Week 10 bye. It reached the mountaintop and is bound for some regression, but the main question is, how much? They'll be down their top-two tacklers, as Jamie Collins (81) left for Detroit and Dont'a Hightower (71) opted out. Collins led the team with seven sacks as well, trailed closely by Kyle Van Noy (6.5), who departed for Miami. The pass rush will take a…read more

The Patriots held the Bills to 17 points and 268 total yards in Week 16's win.

Analysis: The Patriots have clinched the AFC East yet again, but they're still battling for a bye week and can clinch with a win. They were able to shut out the Dolphins on the road in Week 2 and force four turnovers in the process, but the Dolphins have managed to produce 20 points in six straight games. They're no longer slouches, but they've coughed up a turnover in seven straight games, while Ryan Fitzpatrick has been sacked on 7.6 percent of dropbacks -- the ninth-most in the league. Be confident…read more

The Patriots allowed 13 points and forced five turnovers in Week 15's win over the Bengals.

Analysis: Stephon Gilmore also returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown, leading to another explosive week for the Patriots D/ST. They'll now face the low-scoring Bills, who have averaged 20.8 PPG (22nd). The Patriots held the Bills to 16 points on the road earlier this year, and now they'll benefit from playing in Foxborough. There's plenty of upside when going against the Bills, as Josh Allen is sacked on 7.3 percent of dropbacks (11th-most). They've only coughed up the ball 16 times, but…read more

The Patriots allowed 23 points and 346 total yards to the Chiefs in Week 14's loss.

Analysis: They also forced two turnovers to salvage a respectable fantasy day against one of the league's most explosive offenses. This unit will get a much more favorable matchup against the Bengals, who have surpassed 20 points on two occasions. However, the Bengals have eased up on the turnovers since Andy Dalton resumed as a starter, and Dalton has only been sacked three times over two games. Still, the upside here is massive, and the Patriots need a win almost as badly as your fantasy team does.…read more

The Patriots allowed 28 points and 276 total yards in Week 13's loss to the Texans.

Analysis: The Patriots' defense has been predictably excellent against inferior competition, but its two worst outings were against the Ravens and Texans, as it let up 37 points to the former. The Chiefs are among those two's caliber, as they rank fourth with 387.3 YPG and third with 29.0 PPG. It remains to be seen whether Stephon Gilmore will be able to shut down Tyreek Hill, but they likely won't have to worry about Darrel Williams (hamstring) while Damien Williams' (head) status is uncertain, too.…read more

CB Jason McCourty's (groin) status is uncertain for Week 13's matchup against the Texans.

Analysis: If McCourty's unable to play, the Patriots' secondary could struggle against Will Fuller and Kenny Stills while Stephon Gilmore handles DeAndre Hopkins. McCourty's injury is worth monitoring as the week progresses, but the upside here should keep Patriots D/ST as a fantasy-viable unit. The Pats lead the league with 29 turnovers, and they've allowed just 256.4 total YPG (second) this season. The Texans' offense is quite productive with 381.6 total YPG (seventh), but it comes at the cost of…read more

The Patriots allowed 10 points and 255 total yards to the Eagles in Week 11's win.

Analysis: The Patriots were gifted an injury-riddled Eagles team, but there's nothing to make us believe it wouldn't have been a similar result even with Philly at full force. The Pats' defense leads the league with just 5.3 YPA allowed, and their 97.3 rushing YPG ranks 10th. It also ranks third with 37 sacks and first with 28 forced turnovers. However, a lot of their production came against lesser offenses than the Cowboys. QB Dak Prescott leads the league with 8.8 YPA, and he has two dynamic…read more