Sep 19, 2026, 2:15 AM ET

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson will make his season debut on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Henderson missed Week 1 due to an ankle injury, but his absence was short-lived, as he has been cleared to return in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. At this point, we expect Henderson to share snaps with Rhamondre Stevenson, who drew the start in the season opener. Stevenson had 23 touches last week, and he played a major role in the receiving game. We wouldn't be shocked to see both Henderson and Stevenson log at least 10-15 touches this Sunday, especially with wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) no longer involved on offense after he was placed on injured reserve. Henderson has jumped to RB41 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings, but managers would be justified starting him as an RB3/flex in Week 2.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 19, 2026, 1:59 AM ET

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson carried the load as the team's primary ball-carrier during the season opener, but his role is likely to change for Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Stevenson is likely returning to a split-backfield role now that teammate TreVeyon Henderson is healthy again. As the lone running back atop the depth chart in Week 1, Stevenson had 23 touches with 95 scrimmage yards, including 8.8 yards per catch. He'll presumably be closer to 15 touches this week, but that won't prevent him from getting on the fantasy radar. He still ranks as a high-end RB3/flex, especially in PPR leagues where his receiving workload can make a significant impact. The Steelers allowed the ninth-most fantasy points and the second-most receptions to running backs in Week 1, although it's worth noting that they played against Bijan Robinson. Stevenson isn't nearly on the same level as Robinson, but he's still a worthwhile fantasy starter. He ranks as RotoBaller's RB22 for Week 2.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 18, 2026, 8:18 PM ET

New England Patriots second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) practiced in full all week and was not on the team's final injury report on Friday, clearing the way for him to make his season debut on Sunday in a Week 2 matchup against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, per the team's official website. The 23-year-old former Ohio State star RB was held out of the Week 1 season-opening loss last Wednesday to the Seattle Seahawks due to an ankle injury that he suffered late in training camp. He has made great progress this week, though, and is ready to rejoin a backfield that also includes Rhamondre Stevenson. The Patriots' coaching staff still has plenty of trust in Stevenson, but he averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per carry last week, and they will surely welcome Henderson and his explosive backfield abilities back into the fold. In what should be a near-even timeshare between Stevenson and Henderson, Henderson should not be much more than an RB3/flex option for fantasy managers in his 2026 debut.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Patriots.com

Sep 17, 2026, 4:48 PM ET

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson played a workhorse role in his team's Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, recording 51 rushing yards on 18 carries and five catches for 44 yards on six targets. However, Stevenson's role in the New England backfield could be changing heading into the team's Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After missing the opener with an ankle injury, second-year Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) has logged two full practices this week and looks to be on track for a return against Pittsburgh. Stevenson projects to be New England's lead back regardless of Henderson's status, so he still carries fantasy appeal. Still, the 23 touches he logged in Week 1 were more than he recorded in any game while sharing the field with Henderson in 2025. Heading into Week 2, Stevenson profiles as a low-end fantasy RB2.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 17, 2026, 2:00 PM ET

New England Patriots second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) missed the Week 1 season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl rematch last Wednesday night, but he was a full participant in Wednesday's practice and said on Thursday that he is "ready to go," according to Evan Lazar of the team's official website. The Patriots could still ease the former Ohio State star back into their backfield, but it is looking very likely that he will make his season debut in the Week 2 tilt at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday. When both Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson are healthy, they are expected to split New England's backfield in half, which makes them both basically RB3/flex options every week when they are both healthy. Henderson's impending return is definitely bad news for Stevenson, who averaged just 2.8 yards per carry on 18 rushing attempts in last week's loss to the Seahawks. Henderson is already rostered in 93% of Yahoo leagues after he had 911 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in his first NFL season in 2025.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar

Sep 16, 2026, 5:33 PM ET

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) was listed as a full practice participant on Wednesday. Henderson suffered an ankle injury in training camp in late August that kept him from suiting up in the Week 1 season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Wednesday night. But now that he is back as a full-go early in the week at practice, the second-year back seems destined to make his 2026 debut on Sunday in a Week 2 clash against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers. In the loss to the Seahawks, Stevenson handled 18 rushing attempts for just 51 yards (2.8 yards per carry) while adding five catches on six targets for 44 yards through the air. The impending return of Henderson is bad news for Stevenson's fantasy managers going into Week 2, as the two are expected to split New England's backfield pretty evenly again this year. The 23-year-old Henderson had an impressive 911 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season games as a rookie and will be on the RB3/flex radar this weekend if he is officially cleared to play later this week.--Keith Hernandez
Source: New England Patriots

Sep 16, 2026, 2:12 PM ET

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said that running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) is making progress after returning to practice on Monday, and he should be able to do more in practice on Wednesday, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. "Hopefully, that continues to trend in the right direction," Vrabel said. Henderson was inactive in the Week 1 season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Wednesday night after suffering an ankle injury late in training camp on Aug. 24. His return to practice this week is a good sign, but it does not guarantee that he will make his return this weekend for a Week 2 tilt against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers. In Henderson's absence last week, Rhamondre Stevenson handled 18 carries for 51 yards and caught five of six targets for 44 yards as a receiver, with Corey Kiner backing him up. Even if Henderson is cleared to make his 2026 debut this Sunday against Pittsburgh, he could be eased in behind Stevenson and should be considered no more than a shaky RB3/flex option in fantasy football.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss

Sep 14, 2026, 12:35 PM ET

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) will return to practice on Monday, head coach Mike Vrabel told Mike Reiss of ESPN. Henderson was unable to practice all of last week before being ruled out for the Week 1 season-opening loss last Wednesday to the Seattle Seahawks. The fact that the 23-year-old will return early this week suggests that he will have a legitimate chance to make his 2026 debut in Week 2 this Sunday when the team squares off against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his absence, Rhamondre Stevenson handled 18 rushing attempts for 51 yards (2.8 yards per carry) while catching five of six targets for 44 yards through the air. Corey Kiner backed him up and had only six carries for 11 yards as the RB2. If Henderson is cleared for Week 2 later this week, he is expected to split backfield work with Stevenson, although the Pats could ease Henderson in after he missed the last few weeks of training camp with his ankle injury. At best, Henderson will be a shaky RB3/flex option for fantasy managers if he plays against Pittsburgh.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss

Sep 14, 2026, 9:21 AM ET

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) could return to practice this week as the team prepares to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Mike Vrabel told the media on Monday, "Hopefully we'll get him out to practice here in the next few days." Henderson missed Week 1's 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks with an ankle injury he sustained on August 24th after slipping while making a cut. With the second-year back out, Rhamondre Stevenson handled 18 carries and six targets, totaling 95 scrimmage yards. If Henderson returns in Week 2, fantasy managers should still expect a heavy dose of Stevenson, though the Patriots will likely utilize a similar committee to the one they used in the 2025 season.--Nathan Harvey
Source: Doug Kyed

Sep 10, 2026, 1:12 AM ET

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 51 yards on 18 carries during Wednesday's Week 1 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He also caught five of his six targets for an additional 44 receiving yards. Stevenson took over as the Patriots' lead back with TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) sidelined, and while he averaged a woeful 2.8 yards per carry, he salvaged his fantasy performance with large volume and very admirable contributions in the receiving game. Ideally, Stevenson and Henderson can form a solid one-two punch when the latter is healthy, with Henderson fighting for yardage on early downs and Stevenson offering an outlet for Drake Maye in the passing game on third down. There doesn't appear to be a whole lot of rushing upside with Stevenson, so he'll need to continue producing as a receiver to stay on the radar in fantasy football leagues. If Henderson has to miss another week, Stevenson will likely remain in the high-end RB3 range, especially in PPR formats.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 9, 2026, 9:31 AM ET

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to handle the bulk of the workload in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. In 2025, Stevenson totaled 948 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns on 162 touches across 14 games. He split the workload with rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, who totaled over 1,100 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. Now, Henderson (ankle) has been ruled out for Week 1's matchup against the Seahawks, opening the door for Stevenson to get more work. The matchup is still tough, as Seattle allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs and the fewest yards per carry last season. Still, with a great offense and as the clear workhorse, Stevenson is a mid-RB2 in Week 1.--Nathan Harvey
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 9, 2026, 1:23 AM ET

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson has emerged as a very strong RB2 option in fantasy football for Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. Entering fantasy drafts this summer, there were plenty of debates about the Patriots' backfield dynamic. We still don't know exactly how this backfield will look when TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) is healthy, but we don't have to worry about that for at least another week. Henderson has been ruled out for Wednesday's season opener, leaving Stevenson in line to lead the backfield. Not only will Stevenson jump to No. 1 on the depth chart, but he'll presumably take on an every-down role. The de facto No. 2 running back, Corey Kiner, has just 14 career touches across four games, so it's unlikely that he'll carve out a large workload against the reigning champs. That leaves Stevenson in line for at least 15-20 touches this week. Interestingly, Stevenson was one of the few offensive players who impressed in the Pats' ugly Super Bowl loss against the Seahawks. On the big stage, he rushed for 23 yards, added five catches for 40 receiving yards, and scored a touchdown. If he can boost his rushing stats while continuing to produce as a receiver and around the goal line, he'll have no trouble finishing as an RB2. The Seahawks have a strong defense, but Stevenson showed that he could overcome this tricky matchup seven months ago, and he can do it again on Wednesday night. As it stands, he's the RB23 in RotoBaller's Week 1 fantasy football rankings. He should be started in all leagues with 10+ teams.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 8, 2026, 5:07 PM ET

New England Patriots second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) has officially been ruled out for the Week 1 season opener on Thursday and a rematch of last year's Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks after he did not practice all week, according to the team. Henderson's ankle injury is not considered long-term, but it remains to be seen if he will be ready for his 2026 season debut in Week 2 next Sunday, Sept. 20, versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in the team's home opener. With Henderson sidelined this Thursday in a tough matchup against a strong Seahawks defense, Rhamondre Stevenson should see the lion's share of touches out of the backfield while being spelled by Corey Kiner. With New England's backfield a little thin out of the gate, expect to see the Patriots bring up Lan Larison from the practice squad to serve as the RB3 against Seattle. The 23-year-old Henderson had a solid rookie season in 2025 with over 900 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns in the regular season, but he remains in a timeshare with Stevenson when he is healthy, and his early-season fantasy stock is down because of his ankle injury.--Keith Hernandez
Source: New England Patriots

Sep 7, 2026, 3:43 PM ET

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to see plenty of snaps in Wednesday night's opener against Seattle, according to Chad Graff. Head coach Mike Vrabel pointed to Stevenson's pass protection Monday, saying "the protection for me is what stands out" when discussing what he values in the veteran's game. That part of Stevenson's skill set could keep him on the field regardless of how the carries are divided. He played 14 games last season, rushing for 603 yards and seven touchdowns on 130 carries while adding 32 catches for 345 yards and two more scores. TreVeyon Henderson's ankle injury could open the door to even more work, but Stevenson already has a strong case for a heavy snap count because New England trusts him to protect the quarterback.--Bruno Mulé
Source: Chad Graff