Rhamondre

Stevenson

Stevenson will end the season with 207 rushes for 801 yards and seven touchdowns, adding 33 catches on 41 targets for 168 yards and another touchdown through the air. The 26-year-old also lost six fumbles on the season which forced him into a timeshare with Antonio Gibson at times during the year. However, despite Gibson being the assumed “receiving back,” Stevenson had almost double the targets in the passing game which seems to confirm that New England doesn’t view him as just an early-down rusher. The 26-year-old could be in for a better season next year with Drake Maye under center from the start; however, the Patriots will need to make significant upgrades to their offensive line and their receiving game before we feel confident enough in Stevenson’s team context to elevate him from a matchup-dependent FLEX option.

Stevenson was also targeted once, but did not catch the pass. Head coach Jerod Mayo initially said Stevenson would be benched before the game after his fumbling issues, but instead started in what Mayo called a “coach’s decision.” Ultimately, Stevenson only had two carries in a deeply negative game script, gaining just one yard. He will be outside top-30 RB consideration for Week 18 against the Bills.

On 98.5 The Sports Hub, Mayo said, “Gibby is going to start for us today.” This marks the second time this season Stevenson has been benched for fumble issues. He has now fumbled seven times this season. Expect Stevenson to still mix in for a committee backfield in Week 17, but he falls to RB3 viability. Gibson is worth FLEX consideration.

Stevenson, who was benched earlier this season for fumbling issues, lost another fumble in Week 16 against Buffalo. “I think everyone understands how important the football is. We’re a team that we just can’t turn the ball over,” Mayo said when asked about Stevenson’s ongoing fumbling issues. “I thought Gibby, when he got in there, did a great job. We gotta go back and talk about it as a staff, but that’s definitely still a possibility.” Gibson last week had ten rushes for 28 yards and two grabs for eight yards in a loss to the Bills. He could figure more prominently in the New England backfield this week against the Chargers if Mayo is intent on sending a message to Stevenson. It makes Stevenson a shaky option in fantasy leagues.

Stevenson’s day was filled with significant highs and lows. The high came on a red zone touchdown run in which he bounced through contact for the Patriots’ second touchdown of the day. The lows came via one, or two, lost fumbles. Drake Maye is credited with a fumble of a pass that bounced off of Stevenson’s hands and eventually found its way into CB Taron Johnson’s possession, in the end zone. Technically the pass traveled backward though so Stevenson seems safe from a potential stat correction. He is an RB2/3 against the Chargers in Week 17.

Stevenson only out-carried Antonio Gibson 13-7 and caught one fewer pass than his backup. Both backs were explosive on a per-touch basis. Stevenson averaged 6.1 yards per touch while Gibson finished the day at 7.1. A committee approach is likely what’s best for both backs and should be the expectation for Week 16. Stevenson is on the RB2/3 border for his upcoming matchup with Buffalo.

The good news is that Stevenson’s touch and yardage totals were strong in this game after a quiet Week 12 that saw him amass 13 yards on eight carries without a single reception. The bad news is that Antonio Gibson looked far more explosive on his seven carries. He ran for 62 yards and found the end zone. Stevenson and the Pats will regroup during the bye, though they will emerge as considerable underdogs to the Cardinals in Week 15. Stevenson will remain a touch-based RB2 for that game.

This didn’t present as a tough matchup for Stevenson, but his offensive line simply got manhandled all game long. Stevenson had a long rush of nine yards on the day and could barely gain a yard on any other play for the rest of the game. He remains on the RB2 fringe because of his role in the offense, but the poor offensive line play will always leave him open to games like this.

Stevenson’s 24 touches were his most since Week 1, though he has breezed by 20 three of the past four weeks. The Pats’ play volume has skyrocketed with Drake Maye under center, but it’s still a mediocre overall offense with limited touchdown opportunities. That’s why Stevenson is scoreless in 3-of-5 appearances. He’s still scoring enough, while the workloads make him a clear-cut RB2. That will include for Week 12 vs. the Dolphins in what could admittedly be a low-scoring affair.

Stevenson was a workhorse back for the Patriots, handling 20 of 31 running back carries. It wasn’t the most efficient day, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, but the Pats leaned on him to eat up yards in a positive rushing game script. His fantasy production is dented by not scoring a touchdown, but Stevenson’s usage is encouraging for fantasy managers. He is in the RB2 mix for Week 11 against the Rams.