Rhamondre Stevenson

Week 2 vs. Miami Dolphins

Rhamondre Stevenson got involved in the passing game, as we expected, especially with New England having to claw back early from being down 16-0. Because of that and Ezekiel Elliott getting a few carries, Stevenson only saw 12 carries in the game. Still, that's 18 touches and that should go up. This week, he gets a Miami defense that allowed Austin Ekeler to go nuts in Week 1 in what was a wild shootout. Stevenson isn't on the level of Ekeler, but he's very capable of putting up good numbers in any given week. We're still starting Stevenson in a good spot.

Fantasy Upside
Rhamondre Stevenson has seen his role expand over the past year and a half and now looks entrenched as the lead back in New England. There may be weeks where he doesn't see a ton of carries, but he's well-involved in the passing game to help make up for it. He had six games with at least five catches and finished with 69 receptions on 88 targets. He's the man for the Patriots.

Fantasy Downside
The Patriots still have a handful of running backs behind Stevenson -- Ty Montgomery, J.J. Taylor, Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris -- that could take some work away from Stevenson. There's also still the possibility that the Patriots sign former Vikings RB Dalvin Cook. He would absolutely put a damper on Stevenson's fantasy value. Keep your eyes open on that front.

2023 Bottom Line
For now, Stevenson is the lead back and in the RB1 conversation in the fantasy world, even with all the running backs New England has. They won't put too much of a dent, even combined, into Stevenson's value. Dalvin Cook, however, would really change things.

Update: With the Patriots signing Ezekiel Elliott, Stevenson’s value takes a ding. Elliott will steal the short yards and perhaps the goal line carries. Still, Stevenson is the superior back and should still see at least 20 touches a game, making him a very solid RB2 in fantasy with low-end RB1 upside.

Week 16 vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Welcome back, Rhamondre Stevenson. A big day for Stevenson last week against the Raiders with 172 yards on 19 carries. He's back as the man in New England. He does have a tough matchup against the Bengals, but the opportunities Stevenson gets and his talent make him almost impossible to bench at this point. We could be looking at a league winner here.