Who Should I Start? Derrick Henry or Rhamondre Stevenson

Thursday, January 29, 5:01 PM

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry had some issues with ball security and inconsistency in 2025, but overall he remained a highly productive player. Across 17 games, Henry recorded 307 carries for 1,595 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Going into 2026, Henry will be entering his age-32 season with more than 2,800 career regular-season touches under his belt. Traditional aging curves indicate that Henry is long overdue for a decline in production. Additionally, his PPR fantasy value remains limited by his lack of production as a receiver, as he recorded just 15 receptions for the season in 2025. However, Henry may be enough of a physical outlier that he can continue to stave off father time. He will also presumably get the benefit of playing a full season next to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who missed time in 2025 due to multiple injuries. As long as he makes it through the offseason healthy, Henry profiles as a high-end running back option for 2026. In dynasty formats, Henry's long-term outlook is murkier due to his age.

Monday, January 26, 10:58 AM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson took on a workhorse role in his team's AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos, recording 71 rushing yards on 25 carries. While Stevenson averaged a highly inefficient 2.8 yards per touch for the game, he was still a crucial piece in helping New England game-manage its way to a victory in snowy conditions in Denver. The Patriots finished the game with just 206 yards of total offense, so Stevenson accounted for over a third of his team's output. Stevenson also appears to have completely taken over the lead role in New England's backfield from rookie back TreVeyon Henderson. After playing over 60% of the Patriots' offensive snaps in each of their first two postseason games, Stevenson played 94% of the team's snaps against Denver. Both New England backs now face a difficult matchup in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, who finished the regular season ranked first among NFL defenses in yards per carry allowed (3.7). Still, Stevenson appears better positioned than Henderson to take on a high-volume role and should have his chances for production.