Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Kaleb Johnson

Sunday, August 10, 11:41 AM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (undisclosed) was absent from practice on Sunday, Evan Lazar of Patriots.com reports. It's unclear if Stevenson is dealing with an injury or getting a veteran rest day. The fifth-year man rushed seven times for 36 yards in the Patriots' preseason-opening 48-18 win over the Washington Commanders on Friday. Stevenson put up 801 rushing yards and a personal-best seven touchdowns on 207 attempts last season. However, after Stevenson averaged just 3.9 yards per carry and fumbled a career-worst six times, the Patriots used a second-round pick on fellow RB TreVeyon Henderson. The former Ohio State Buckeye wowed in his preseason debut with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown to open the game. He also picked up 18 yards on his lone carry and caught three passes for 12 yards. With Henderson in the fold and looking like an intriguing weapon, Stevenson's fantasy value has dropped.

Sunday, August 10, 12:43 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson turned eight carries into 20 rushing yards and hauled in one of two targets for six receiving yards in a 31-25 preseason win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The rookie handled RB1 duties for Pittsburgh in the first half before he was eventually replaced by Trey Sermon, Evan Hull, and Lew Nichols. Although Johnson could not find much room to operate on Saturday, he notably ran through the arms of a diving Travis Hunter for a seven-yard gain early in the second quarter. The fact that veteran Jaylen Warren was inactive confirms his standing as the Steelers' featured back, meaning Johnson will need to earn playing time early in the regular season. His next opportunity to showcase his talents will come against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week.