Stevenson questionable, says he’s ready to go

Stevenson already told reporters on Friday that he was “ready to go”, so this news item doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Stevenson will continue to operate as the Pats’ top option in high-leverage situations, though he could cede more work between the 20s to TreVeyon Henderson. Both backs are stuck as low-ceiling RB3 options this week.

Stevenson is on track to play in Week 5 against the Raiders. It would be great to see him upgrade to full participation tomorrow. Regardless, Stevenson should at least be available for FLEX-viable duties on game day, if not his normal RB2-worthy workload.

This one is a surprise considering head coach Mike Vrabel said earlier Wednesday that Stevenson would not practice. Instead, the 28-year-old is listed as a limited participant on Wednesday’s official practice report. Stevenson seemingly tweaked his knee towards the end of Week 4 but he has a chance to play in Week 5 against the Raiders.

Stevenson tweaked his knee or ankle on his last touch of Week 4. The game ended shortly after that, so we didn’t get an official update on his injury from the team. Vrabel told reporters there is a chance he plays in Week 5, but it sounds like the veteran is on the wrong side of questionable as of Wednesday. TreVeyon Henderson’s role was dwindling in recent weeks, but Stevenson’s absence will thrust him right back into a workhorse role. He would be a high-end RB2 if Stevenson is unable to go.

Stevenson also hauled in a crucial two-point conversion catch on the late fourth-quarter drive that gave the Patriots the lead. Stevenson didn’t have any huge gains on the day, but he consistently gained yardage through the middle of the Bills’ defense and was the clear top option in the red zone. However, when the Patriots were trying to run out the clock, Stevenson got hit at the line of scrimmage and limped off the field with a knee injury. The game ended just two plays later, so this will have to be a situation fantasy managers monitor during the week.

TreVeyon Henderson, meanwhile, had eight rushes for a meager 23 yards in the blowout loss to Jacksonville. Stevenson ran most of the pass routes out of the backfield and saw more targets than Henderson, as usual. It didn’t lead to much. Stevenson next week against the Bills will be a touchdown dependent RB3 option who should be kept on the bench in most fantasy formats.

Henderson and Rhamonrde Stevenson were bottled up in the first half before the Patriots abandoned the run game in the second half, down by three scores. Henderson nearly broke a couple runs in the first half but was tripped up before a big play could develop. A boom-bust running back option, Henderson will remain big-play dependent in Week 4 against a gettable Buffalo run defense. His lack of pass-game involvement will be an issue in PPR formats.

Stevenson started the game for the Patriots backfield but quickly fell out of favor after a first quarter fumble. He was out-snapped the rest of the game by TreVeyon Henderson, who saw 31 snaps to Stevenson’s 18. The Pats did get Stevenson going again in the second half; he ripped off a 24-yard run in the third quarter to extend a drive that ended in a missed field goal. Based on Week 2 usage, Stevenson is the starter but will be quickly yanked as his career-long fumbling issues continue. He is a FLEX play for Week 3 against the jaguars.

Henderson is now on track to play in Week 2. His return comes at a good time. The Patriots’ offense needs an explosive element. Although veteran RB Rhamondre Stevenson should be expected to remain the starter, the team should be able to get Henderson involved in space. Henderson can be treated as a FLEX this week.

With TreVeyon Henderson sidelined, Stevenson ceded just six attempts to backup Corey Kiner and two catches to practice squad call-up Lan Larison. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he was atrocious on the ground, averaging 2.8 yards per carry. New England rolled out a fairly predictable ground game versus the Seahawks, running on early downs with obvious run-focused personnel groups. That made Seattle’s job of bottling up Stevenson extremely easy. Drake Maye finished just four yards behind Stevenson despite running just seven times. As long as Henderson is out, Stevenson should hang out in the RB2 ranks based on his impressive workload. The efficiency should also improve next week when he takes on the Steelers.