Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Jonathon Brooks

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.

Sunday, January 19, 4:53 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) underwent a successful second ACL surgery last week, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. The operation was led by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who is widely regarded as one of the country's top sports medicine specialists. Brooks missed the first half of his rookie season due to an ACL injury, so it was crushing to see him suffer another ACL tear just a few games into his NFL career. This latest tear is expected to sideline Brooks for the entire 2025 season, meaning he won't be fully healthy until the 2026 campaign. The Panthers are fortunate that Chuba Hubbard played so well during the 2024 season and is on track to remain their starting running back in 2025. Hubbard ranks as a high-end fantasy RB2 next year, but Brooks' eventual return in 2026 could add a wrinkle to the backfield dynamic.