Patriots-Bears DFS Picks: Best Value Plays, NFL Week 7

After a slow start to the season, last year’s Super Bowl runners-up are slowly finding their form as they head into their second primetime appearance. The Patriots travel to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football, with both teams coming off Sunday wins. Chicago is glad to have star QB Caleb Williams back under center and will look to remain undefeated in games he has been able to finish this season.

Here are the players worth targeting in your DFS lineups for Thursday night’s showdown. Be sure to check out our NFL betting trends page for data and odds on every game.

New England Patriots vs. Chicago Bears DFS Picks

Pos	Player	Matchup	FPPG	Salary
MVP	👑 Drake Maye	NE @ CHI	20.5	$15,900
FLEX	Luther Burden III	NE @ CHI	12.4	$8,400
FLEX	DeMario Douglas	NE @ CHI	10.1	$6,600
FLEX	Colston Loveland	NE @ CHI	7.1	$6,400
FLEX	Roschon Johnson	NE @ CHI	4.6	$4,400
FLEX	Rhamondre Stevenson	NE @ CHI	10.9	$7,800

👑 Drake Maye, NE/QB/MVP ($15,900)

Drake Maye has begun to silence his doubters over the past couple of weeks after a slow start to the season. The third-year man enters Thursday’s game on a three-game streak of 200-plus yards and 3-plus TDs, and has been far more careful with the ball, throwing just one INT in that span after tossing six over the first three games. He now faces a Chicago secondary that ranks around the middle of the pack, allowing 211.8 passing yards per game and has given up nine passing TDs this season.

Despite not having his full complement of receivers throughout the season, Maye has spread the ball around and fed whoever has it going each week. Last week he completed passes to seven different receivers and moved the chains efficiently despite an inconsistent run game. Using Maye in the captain spot provides a reliable scoring floor given how he distributes the ball, especially with no clear WR1 having emerged thus far.

Luther Burden III, CHI/WR ($8,400)

With Williams back under center, Burden immediately stepped back into the WR1 role he’s occupied for most of his time in Chicago. The 22-year-old has clearly been the focal point of Ben Johnson’s offense and has excelled in that role, particularly with Williams at QB. He caught all eight of his targets for 95 yards against the Falcons last week and now leads the team with a 22.1% target share and eight red-zone targets heading into Week 7.

He faces a New England secondary that arrives Thursday a bit banged up. Even better for Burden, he will likely avoid coverage from Patriots All-Pro CB Christian Gonzalez, who typically stays outside and will not follow Burden when he shifts into the slot—which he does frequently. Despite playing just 39% of offensive snaps last week, Burden is targeted at such a high rate when he is on the field that adding him to your lineup is a straightforward decision going forward.

DeMario Douglas, NE/WR ($6,600)

Douglas arrives at Thursday’s primetime matchup off a breakout performance against the Jets last week — 7 receptions for 86 yards and a TD. The third-year wideout has now posted 11 receptions, 151 yards, and 3 TDs over the last two games and has stepped up amid the Patriots’ injury situation. Even with high-profile summer addition A.J. Brown back in the lineup, Douglas has clearly carved out a role as a priority target for Maye going forward.

We are pairing the two for Thursday’s lineup, with Douglas’ 24.4% target share over the past two weeks looking encouraging. With both Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs confirmed out for Thursday, his target volume should only increase. The 2023 draft pick faces a secondary that has allowed 32.5 fantasy points per game to WRs this season, and with Brown drawing the bulk of defensive attention, Douglas should keep thriving in a complementary role.

Colston Loveland, CHI/TE ($6,400)

After a promising rookie campaign, expectations were fairly high for Loveland heading into his sophomore season in Johnson’s TE-heavy offense. The second-year tight end has been underwhelming through the opening weeks, though a strong showing against the Falcons last week could signal things to come with Williams back under center. Loveland finished that game with 6 receptions for 65 yards and his first TD of the season.

He faces a Patriots defense that has been mostly solid but has shown some vulnerability to opposing TEs, ranking within the top five against the position this season. Mike Vrabel’s unit is allowing just 7.8 fantasy points per game to TEs, but there have been outliers — most recently Raiders TE Brock Bowers, who went off for 10 receptions and 121 yards when the teams met two weeks ago. In a game with a 50.5-point implied total, look for Loveland to remain heavily involved in the offense on Thursday.

Roschon Johnson, CHI/RB ($4,400)

Veteran RB Roschon Johnson is an elite budget option for Thursday night, excelling in his backup role with fellow RB Kyle Monangai out with injury. Johnson served as the perfect change-of-pace back alongside D’Andre Swift and was efficient with his limited carries in last week’s victory against a tough run defense. He finished with 13 carries for 51 yards, a TD, and 2 receptions for 34 yards, and will look to replicate that against a Patriots run defense that has not been the most reliable through the first six weeks.

New England is allowing just 91.8 rushing yards per game but a healthy 4.1 yards per carry. Johnson may not be as efficient as he was last week, but the 25-year-old will remain a threat in the short passing game and could see some goal-line carries given his larger frame, as he did last week. Ben Johnson has consistently shown a preference for using two backs throughout his coaching career, with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery being the most prominent examples. With Monangai carrying multiple injury designations and unlikely to play, look for Johnson to see another steady workload alongside Swift.

Rhamondre Stevenson, NE/RB ($7,800)

We wrap up our Thursday Night Football lineup with Patriots lead back Rhamondre Stevenson. Heading into the season, many expected New England to transition young RB Treyveon Henderson into the RB1 role and deploy Stevenson in late-down and short-yardage situations, but the opposite has played out. Henderson has battled injuries all season, and Stevenson has made the most of the opportunity. Chicago has been solid against RBs this year, though injuries to LBs T.J. Edwards and Jack Sanborn could open up some running lanes for the veteran.

Stevenson has dominated the Patriots’ backfield through the opening weeks, leading Henderson 71 carries to 49, and leads the team with 7 red-zone carries and 2 TDs. His 3.7 yards per carry is modest, but Stevenson continues to see a true RB1 workload and has been a factor in the passing game as well. He had one of his worst outings of the season last week against the Jets — 14 carries for 36 yards and no receptions — but has 15 catches on the year and will continue to serve as a reliable outlet for Maye in the flat.

Photo Credit: REUTERS