Who Should I Start? Josh Jacobs or Rhamondre Stevenson

Wednesday, July 10, 4:37 PM

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has hauled in 197 receptions since entering the NFL in 2019, and heading into his first year with Matt LaFleur, he wants to be heavily targeted in the passing game. "I was talking to (LaFleur) about that actually and I was telling him I feel like I want to catch it a little bit more," Jacobs said. "I feel like I didn't get to show that as much as I would have liked. So, that's definitely something in the conversations we had." The former first-round pick has two 50-plus catch seasons on his resume, and he was a solid receiver out of the backfield in college, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he gets his wish. Former Packers running back Aaron Jones earned 311 targets in five seasons with LaFleur, the fifth-most among all ball carriers during that span. Jacobs is being drafted as a low-end RB1 or high-end RB2, which could prove to be a discount in PPR formats.

Thursday, June 20, 4:10 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson agreed to a four-year, $36 million contract extension on Thursday, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The deal includes $17 million guaranteed. While the team can get out of the deal early and less than half of it is guaranteed, this is still a sign that the organization views him as the clear leadback. The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2022, racking up over 1,400 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in 17 games. He was limited to just 12 games and 857 yards in 2023, but he should be healthy heading into his fourth pro season. While Antonio Gibson might get work behind him in the receiving game, both running backs could see plenty of targets given the weak group of pass-catchers Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett have to work with. Stevenson is likely an underpriced RB2 for 2024.