Through the Bye and Beyond: Abby's Fantasy Plan for New England's Quarterback Question and Detroit's Missing Pass Rusher

One play in Munich on Sunday changed the fantasy outlook for two teams at once. Aidan Hutchinson sacked Drake Maye in the first quarter of Detroit's 35-10 win over New England, Maye hurt his ankle on the play, and Hutchinson hurt his knee celebrating it ^[5][2]. By Sunday afternoon, the news on both men had grown more serious. Here is how I would handle each one.

Drake Maye: The Bye Is Your Friend

Maye limped off after the sack and did not return, finishing 3 of 4 for 48 yards before he left, according to Yahoo Sports ^[2]. Coach Mike Vrabel said the team will run more tests once it is back from Germany and will know the severity after that, CBS Sports reported ^[1].

The timing helps. The Patriots are on a bye in Week 11, so Maye has an extra week to heal without costing fantasy managers a start ^[1]. If he is still not ready for Week 12, Tommy DeVito would stay under center, according to the CBS Sports report ^[1].

David Chao, a former NFL team doctor, said he believes this is likely a multi-week injury, though he expressed hope that Maye can avoid injured reserve, Yardbarker reported ^[3]. That is an outside opinion, not a team diagnosis, but it is a sensible planning guide.

Maye's body of work this season is the reason to be patient. He has 2,330 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season, Yahoo Sports reported ^[2]. That is a quarterback you want back for the fantasy playoffs.

My call: do not drop Maye. Since New England is off this week anyway, he costs you nothing right now except a bench spot. Use the waiver wire this week to line up a streaming quarterback for Week 12 in case the tests bring bad news. In two-quarterback leagues, plan for a few weeks without him and be pleasantly surprised if he is back sooner.

Tommy DeVito: Not a Fantasy Answer

DeVito was rough in relief. He went 12 of 24 for 84 yards with one touchdown and one interception, according to Yahoo Sports ^[2]. Outside of the very deepest two-quarterback formats, he should not be in your lineup. If Maye misses Week 12, every Patriots pass catcher takes a downgrade, and I would look elsewhere for flex plays until Maye is cleared.

Aidan Hutchinson: Plan for the Rest of the Year Without Him

Hutchinson appeared to hurt his right knee while celebrating the sack, NBC News reported, and he was set for more tests when the Lions returned to Detroit ^[5]. Reports later in the day were grim. Sports Illustrated relayed a report that Hutchinson suffered a significant right knee injury and is expected to miss the rest of the season ^[4].

Related Ten Aces and Not a Single Break: World No. 1 Alexander Zverev Opens the ATP Finals by Beating Rising Star Rafael Jodar

The Lions themselves have not given a timeline. Coach Dan Campbell said, "We'll know more when we get back in the states," Yardbarker reported ^[6]. Hutchinson has six sacks this season, according to the reports ^[4].

If you play in an individual defensive player league, you need a replacement this week, and you should not wait for the official word. In standard leagues, the larger effect is on the Lions' defense and special teams unit. A defense that loses its best pass rusher loses some of its sack and turnover ceiling. I would stop treating Detroit as an automatic weekly start and pick my spots by matchup instead.

Abby's Bottom Line

Here is the short to-do list for this week. Keep Maye on your bench through the bye. Pick up a streaming quarterback for Week 12 just in case. Leave DeVito on waivers. Replace Hutchinson in IDP leagues today, and rethink the Lions' defense going forward.

The managers who win in December are usually the ones who prepare in November. And behind every injury update is a young man whose season just got harder, so here's hoping both of them get the best possible news from their doctors this week. You can put these moves to the test in the free Liberty Bell Fantasy games at /fantasy.