Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Braelon Allen

Monday, February 9, 1:18 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 23 yards on seven carries during Sunday's Super Bowl LX loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He also caught all five of his targets for an additional 40 receiving yards. Stevenson struggled rushing the ball, but he remained involved and effective in the passing game as New England prioritized shorter pass attempts over deep shots downfield. This was a familiar trend for Stevenson, who essentially won back the primary ball-carrier role after returning from injury in late November. Even with second-round rookie Tre'Veyon Henderson in the mix, Stevenson tallied 603 rushing yards, 32 catches, 345 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns across 14 contests. He averaged 12.8 full-PPR points per game, finishing the year as the overall RB25. Henderson should get even more involved next season, but Stevenson will still have a sizable role. He enters 2026 fantasy drafts as a mid-to-low RB3/flex option.

Monday, February 9, 6:45 PM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (knee) saw his 2025 season come to an abrupt end after he suffered an MCL sprain back in Week 4. New York left the door open for him to return, but that never came to fruition. He ultimately finished his second pro season with 18 carries, 76 rushing yards, two catches, 17 receiving yards, and one touchdown through parts of four games. It was a frustrating setback for a young ball-carrier who was projected to eat into Breece Hall's workload. While that didn't pan out in 2025, we could still see Allen step into a much larger role next season. Hall is headed for free agency, and if the Jets don't franchise tag him, he could quite possibly sign elsewhere. That would leave Allen and Isaiah Davis, who had 422 yards and one touchdown across 16 games last season, sharing a rung atop the depth chart. The fantasy surge of Allen and Davis hinges on New York letting Hall walk and failing to replace him, which is far from a guarantee. However, there's certainly a path to Allen being a top-36 fantasy running back next season. Managers should pay close attention to the Jets' free agency plans when evaluating the 22-year-old's fantasy future.