Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Jaylen Warren

Monday, January 26, 10:58 AM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson took on a workhorse role in his team's AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos, recording 71 rushing yards on 25 carries. While Stevenson averaged a highly inefficient 2.8 yards per touch for the game, he was still a crucial piece in helping New England game-manage its way to a victory in snowy conditions in Denver. The Patriots finished the game with just 206 yards of total offense, so Stevenson accounted for over a third of his team's output. Stevenson also appears to have completely taken over the lead role in New England's backfield from rookie back TreVeyon Henderson. After playing over 60% of the Patriots' offensive snaps in each of their first two postseason games, Stevenson played 94% of the team's snaps against Denver. Both New England backs now face a difficult matchup in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, who finished the regular season ranked first among NFL defenses in yards per carry allowed (3.7). Still, Stevenson appears better positioned than Henderson to take on a high-volume role and should have his chances for production.

Monday, January 12, 2:12 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren finished the regular season with 1,291 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns, but in Monday night's Wild Card finale, he faces a Texans defense that has been among the most punishing all season long. Houston has been the 8th most formidable fantasy defense in terms of limiting opposing running backs, holding lead backs 2.4 points below their season average. With Warren already working as part of a committee with Kenneth Gainwell, neither player boasts a particularly high ceiling, though both are buoyed by their steady work in the passing game. Warren is RotoBaller's RB9 for Wild Card Weekend and will likely need to see a strong target share to make good on that projection.