Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Brian Thomas Jr.

Friday, December 20, 10:56 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson could have an opportunity to demonstrate his pass-catching upside during Sunday's Week 16 game against the Buffalo Bills. New England faces Buffalo two times over the next three weeks, and this Sunday's contest could set the tone for Stevenson to win back some of the opportunities that he has ceded to Antonio Gibson lately. While Buffalo has been solid against the run, they're porous against pass-catching running backs. In fact, the Bills have allowed the most catches, most receiving yards, and second-most receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs in 2024. That bodes well for Stevenson, who has multiple catches in nine of his 13 games this season. He has caught an impressive 32 of 39 passes thrown his way this year, which is a higher total than Gibson, his backfield-mate. Touchdown opportunities have been limited for Stevenson this year, which means his fantasy managers need him to catch passes to produce points. There's no better matchup than the Bills for this to happen. As a result, he ranks as a high-end RB3 in most leagues as the fantasy playoffs carry on.

Friday, December 20, 11:38 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is a must-start in Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders. In an otherwise awful year for the Jaguars offense, BTJ has been a lone bright spot. Last week against the New York Jets, he put up a whopping 10 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns, making him one of the top fantasy receivers on the week, all with backup Mac Jones under center instead of starter Trevor Lawrence. The Raiders serve as an even easier option for fantasy receivers than the Jets, so it isn't crazy to think BTJ has the potential for a repeat performance. Even with more realistic expectations, BTJ has the upside and floor of a WR1 in Week 16 against the Raiders.