Should I Start Rhamondre Stevenson?

Wednesday, September 9, 9:12 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 51 yards on 18 carries during Wednesday's Week 1 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He also caught five of his six targets for an additional 44 receiving yards. Stevenson took over as the Patriots' lead back with TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) sidelined, and while he averaged a woeful 2.8 yards per carry, he salvaged his fantasy performance with large volume and very admirable contributions in the receiving game. Ideally, Stevenson and Henderson can form a solid one-two punch when the latter is healthy, with Henderson fighting for yardage on early downs and Stevenson offering an outlet for Drake Maye in the passing game on third down. There doesn't appear to be a whole lot of rushing upside with Stevenson, so he'll need to continue producing as a receiver to stay on the radar in fantasy football leagues. If Henderson has to miss another week, Stevenson will likely remain in the high-end RB3 range, especially in PPR formats.