Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Chase Brown

Saturday, September 7, 12:18 AM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson has more fantasy football allure than the rest of his teammates heading into a Week 1 clash with the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Patriots have a very bleak outlook in general this year, there's still an opportunity for players like Stevenson to see decent volume. That starts this week against a Bengals defense that allowed the ninth-most rushing touchdowns and the 12th-most rushing yards to running backs in 2023. Stevenson will lose some touches to Antonio Gibson, but he's still the No. 1 back in this offense and has workhorse potential. He has also consistently shown his value as a runner, receiver, and blocker, which should allow him to get on the field and earn reps in all types of situations this year. He ranks as a low-end RB2, but managers should expect reduced touchdown opportunities with the Patriots projected to finish as the worst team in the NFL this year.

Friday, September 6, 9:41 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown ran for 179 yards off 44 carries in his rookie season, adding 14 grabs for 156 yards and a touchdown. With Joe Mixon now in Houston, many anticipate the 24-year-old will be more involved than ever. Granted, Cincinnati signed Zack Moss to a two-year deal this offseason, so he'll also be on the field. However, there's a good chance both players will split carries equally out of the backfield throughout the 2024-25 campaign. With that in mind, the Bengals will begin the year with a Week 1 matchup versus the New England Patriots. But Ja'Marr Chase (not injury-related) and Tee Higgins (hamstring) may not suit up. If that's the case, Brown deserves flex consideration in every fantasy format, considering he may see more carries and targets from Joe Burrow.