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Will Rhamondre Stevenson still be the starter when he returns? John looks at the latest Rhamondre Stevenson injury return timeline and fantasy outlooks for the Patriots RBs.
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) returned to practice for his team on Wednesday after missing two games due to a toe injury.
He likely didn't play last week because the Patriots were playing on Thursday, but it's possible he could have played if it were a Sunday game. This means Stevenson's return this week is very likely, according to my analysis.
The elephant in the room obviously becomes Stevenson's status as the RB1 for the Pats. Will he remain the starter, or will rookie TreVeyon Henderson take over his job after two huge games in back-to-back weeks? Let's dive in.
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Will Rhamondre Stevenson Start For The Patriots When He Returns?
Probably. He'll be the RB1 on the depth chart, at least. And considering the role that the Patriots have had for him literally all season before it got hurt, that at least makes sense. Stevenson has been the early-down and short-yardage back.
Henderson's role was minimal early in the year. Gaffes in pass protection and an inability to run between the tackles caused the coaching staff to limit his role. He's improved in pass pro and actually had some nice reps on inside runs. But physical limitations will likely hold him back from taking a workhorse role.
TreVeyon Henderson is one of the easiest RBs in the league to tackle. He's also one of the worst at gaining yards after contact.
MTF/Att: 0.07 (Ranks 46th of 50 qualifying RBs)
YAC/Att: 1.73 (RB47)Why should the Patriots give him a workhorse role? He hasn't earned it.
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) October 14, 2025
Henderson had a few explosive runs in recent weeks, but still averaged a low yards per carry in Week 11. He's obviously the better fantasy option, and I'm not arguing against that. I'm also not arguing that Stevenson is even a good running back. But he's more powerful and better at powering through tacklers on inside runs.
That's useful in short-yardage situations and at the goal line. Henderson is an explosive athlete, but he needs space to work. He can break arm tackles, but powerful tackle attempts from bigger linebackers aren't his forte. Making him a workhorse doesn't make much sense.
Rhamondre Stevenson Fantasy Football Outlook
Stevenson is tied to the Patriots likely for at least another year due to his contract. His fumbling issues, lack of major pass-catching upside, and lower-tier athleticism make him a non-appealing fantasy option moving forward. But there is some hope.
While the Pats will probably look for a better replacement in his archetype down the road, the fact is that he still likely handles a solid amount of work. And the Patriots have the easiest schedule for running backs remaining this season.
Annnd Rhamondre Stevenson gives it right back with his own fumble. pic.twitter.com/UOuYJlqjPp
— Follow: @ThrowbackPATS (@ThrowbackPATS) October 6, 2025
New England has maintained his role despite his fumbling issue persisting from last year. But in Week 12, the Patriots will face the Cincinnati Bengals, who are absolutely awful against running backs. They have a historically bad defense.
In fact, every matchup but one from this point forward is highly favorable -- the Giants in Week 13, Bills in Week 15, and Jets in Week 17 all have been crushed by opposing rushers this year. Only the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16 present a formidable challenge since their best run-defending player, elite linebacker Roquan Smith, is healthy.
So Stevenson has flex appeal moving forward. We could see him average much higher efficiency than normal. The touchdown upside will be there against incredibly weak defenses, and it's unlikely that No. 38 will completely lose his role, even if it's a 50/50 split moving forward.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 12 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Sean Tucker, Kyle Monangai, TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, Wan'Dale Robinson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 12. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 12 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Sean Tucker, Kyle Monangai, TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, Wan'Dale Robinson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 12.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do, is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 12 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 12 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 12 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 12 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Sean Tucker, Kyle Monangai, TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, Wan'Dale Robinson compared to others:
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