Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Devaughn Vele

Friday, January 3, 11:03 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson remains an unreliable fantasy option heading into Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Buffalo Bills. Stevenson was effectively benched last Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers. While he did log the first touch of the game, he finished the contest with just two carries for one yard while Antonio Gibson rushed the ball 12 times. Gibson has led the Patriots' backfield in snaps for two consecutive weeks, which is the product of Stevenson's poor ball security this season, including a costly Week 16 fumble against the Bills. The Patriots have been somewhat quiet about their personnel decision for Sunday's regular-season finale, but we would expect Stevenson to remain in the doghouse. He's not a dependable fantasy option as the Patriots' season wraps up.

Saturday, January 11, 10:42 AM

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele isn't going to be in many DFS or playoff lineups on wild-card weekend when the Broncos head to Orchard Park to take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. In his first 13 NFL games in 2024, Vele averaged 6.6 half-PPR points per game on 41 receptions, 475 yards and three touchdowns, putting him tied for 77th among all pass-catchers. Going into the postseason, Vele is essentially Denver's WR3 behind Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. That won't give anyone confidence to use him this weekend, but the Broncos should be in pass-first mode as nearly 10-point underdogs, and the Bills defense has allowed the most half-PPR points per game in the last five weeks, including over 1,000 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. If Denver is forced to air it out on Sunday, Vele could be a sneaky flex play with more volume.