Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or Ray Davis

Friday, September 5, 10:11 AM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson "will likely lead the team in carries" in the opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Chad Graff of The Athletic. In the same article, Graff predicts that it's "only a matter of time" before rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson takes over the team's RB1 role, so Stevenson's lead-rusher role could be short-lived. However, fantasy managers should be aware of the likely early-season split between the two backs. Henderson profiles as a low-end RB2/high-end flex option for Week 1, while Stevenson projects as a low-end RB3/flex.

Saturday, August 9, 7:07 PM

With Buffalo Bills star running back James Cook staging a hold-in and unwilling to play Saturday, Ray Davis earned the start in the team's 34-25 preseason-opening loss to the New York Giants. Davis rushed for just seven yards on four attempts and caught one of two targets for another seven yards. As the Bills' emergency kicker, his most memorable highlight came on a successful extra-point attempt in the second quarter. The 5-foot-8, 220-pound Davis joined the Bills as a fourth-round pick from Kentucky in 2024 and was a capable reserve behind Cook as a rookie. Davis appeared in all 17 of the Bills' regular-season games and totaled 442 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 113 rushing attempts. He also caught three TDs and pulled in 17 of his 19 targets for 189 yards. With third-down back Ty Johnson also in the fold, Davis took around 25% of offensive snaps last season. That should be the case again in 2025, but Davis might have an expanded role early on if Cook is unavailable. While Cook seems unlikely to sit out into Week 1 over dissatisfaction with his contract, Davis figures to be the main beneficiary if he does. Cook missed one game last season, a 23-20 win over the New York Jets in Week 6, and Davis accrued 152 total yards (97 rushing, 55 receiving) on 23 touches as Buffalo's go-to back.