Who Should I Start? Darren Waller or Rhamondre Stevenson

BENCH

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
6.8 0.0 0.0 2.5 26.8 0.3

Darren Waller News

If Active, Darren Waller a Dart Throw in Week 1 Vs. the Bears

Saturday, September 12, 4:31 AM

Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller signed a one-year contract with the Panthers this offseason and is expected to be the team's starting tight end. Waller practiced all week and recently worked with the first-team offense, with the plan to play in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. According to Steve Reed of the Associated Press, Waller is not on the injury report for Week 1, but continues to ramp up his conditioning after joining the team in mid-August. The 33-year-old caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns in nine games for the Dolphins last season. He gives quarterback Bryce Young a red zone weapon, but the Bears were stingy against tight ends last year, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to the position. Waller ranks 31st in our tight end rankings and is mainly an option in deep-league TE premium leagues heading into Week 1. Even if Waller is active, he should be left on the bench and is a dart throw at best for the regular season opener.

START

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
14.5 59.2 0.5 2.7 21.6 0.1

Rhamondre Stevenson News

Rhamondre Stevenson Impressive as Receiver, Salvages Fantasy Performance

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.

Darren Waller vs. Rhamondre Stevenson

Still trying to decide between Waller and Stevenson? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Darren Waller is projected to score 6.8 points this week while Rhamondre Stevenson is projected to score 14.5 points.