There's no doubt that Rhamondre Stevenson, who starred for the Patriots in 2022 with nearly 1,500 total yards, has taken a step back from the player he once was. In his last two years, he has missed a total of seven games and has not rushed for 1,000 yards since his breakout season in 2022. Last year was a low for Stevenson, as he led the league in fumbles and dipped under four yards per carry for the first time.
The concern with Stevenson is reasonable: he may no longer be the starting caliber fantasy football back he once was, and with the addition of TreyVeon Henderson with the 38th pick and Antonio Gibson's efficiency in limited opportunities last season, there's reason to believe he may not get as many carries as one would like.
Even UC Davis undrafted rookie Lan Larison has garnered some hype that, if it lives up to, could lead to fewer opportunities for Stevenson.
Recently, PFF ranked running backs by tiers, and placed Rhamondre Stevenson and TreyVeon Henderson in back-to-back slots at 31 and 32 overall, respectively, both in Tier 5. At the moment, we aren't totally sure who will get the bulk of the Pats' carries, so hedging your bets and placing both in tier five is an understandable decision as far as rankings go.
Nonetheless, the opportunity to snag Rhamondre this late is an opportunity you shouldn't pass up. Overall, he has some real upside.
Rhamondre Stevenson has every reason to be a more productive player this year than last
The Patriots were bad last year, for anyone living under a rock. 4-13 with an ever-changing offensive line and two QBs isn't ideal, and Rhamondre felt that pain. The Patriots added two new tackles, a new center, and Cole Strange will be a full season removed from his major injury in 2022.
The line is much better, no doubt, and both tight ends are strong run blockers. Under Josh McDaniels from 2018 to 2021, the Patriots ranked in the top ten in rush attempts per game. That changed when McDaniels went to Vegas, and he was fired in less than two years - there's little doubt he'll return to a run-heavy offense.
Even in his worst season since his rookie year, Stevenson totaled eight touchdowns, seven of which were on the ground. With the improved line and likely very run-heavy offense, he's got some real upside. To handle such a large workload immediately, the team needs strong and experienced runners, which makes Stevenson a great candidate to play right from the start.
Additionally, aside from playing the weakest schedule in the entire league, the Patriots' opponents don't stop the run at a high rate. Tampa Bay will be a legitimate run-stopping opponent in week nine, but only they and Miami, whom the team will face twice, were top-ten run-stopping defenses.
In Miami's case, they lost four front-seven players who played at least 48% of snaps last year, and despite the addition of Kenneth Grant, they're sure to take a step back.
If Rhamondre's production isn't significantly better in 2025, it will likely be due to other players, specifically TreyVeon Henderson, stepping up rather than defenses putting a muffler on their rushing attacks. Expect Stevenson to have a better year than he did in 2024 in terms of rushing yards and yards per carry, and I'd also expect plenty of goal-line carries, something fantasy players love to see.