Conference Championship NFL Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Rhamondre Stevenson vs RJ Harvey

Rhamondre Stevenson and RJ Harvey are both their teams RB1 in the AFC Conference Championship. One player has much higher volume to use.

Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) runs with the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

With four teams left in the NFL Playoffs, we have three games left. In that, we have very few DFS contests to attack over these next two weeks, or so. However, any contest offers opportunity for the taking. We aim to be ultra-sharp in our analysis and thus, dominate our roster construction. In order to do that, we must be sure about the projections of all crucial players. Today, we will look at Rhamondre Stevenson vs RJ Harvey.

The Case for Rhamondre Stevenson

New England needs to FEED Rhamondre Stevenson.

In his last 5 games:

49 Carries + 6.92 YPC 😱
339 Rushing Yards
190 Receiving Yards
6 Touchdowns pic.twitter.com/z31kSjTC5z

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) January 21, 2026

Stevenson has played 16-of-19 Patriots games this season. In that time, he has 156 Attempts (28% Share), 726 Yards (4.7 Yards per Attempt), and 7 Touchdowns. As a pass-catcher Stevenson is 7th on the Patriots with 45 Targets (11% Target Share), 39 Receptions, 431 Yards, and 2 Touchdowns.

When we checkout the recent output of the Patriots rushing offense, Stevenson appears to be working to a run-share of about 55-60%. Given the teams success, we can expect this to be the same. The split will have Stevenson to 55-60%, Henderson to 30-35%, and the balance going to Drake Maye scrambles.

The Patriots run for (129) Yards per Game as a unit. They will face a Broncos defense that is 2nd in Rushing Yards Allowed (91). When we break this all down. we can expect Stevenson to range from 40-60 Yards in this game.

In the Red Zone, Stevenson does lack a bit. His run-share is about 39%, much less than his overall share of the offense. The team does love Henderson in that spot.

The Case for RJ Harvey

RJ Harvey's ability to catch and redirect is absurd. He is the JOKER everyone wanted in the offseason. This cut he puts on the linebacker is disgusting. pic.twitter.com/kPqpqcYad7

— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) January 19, 2026

Harvey has been the RB1 in a bulk workload since JK Dobbins went down post-week 10. In this time, Harvey is averaging (16.5) Attempts per Game. On the year, he is averaging just (3.7) Yards per Attempt. In total Harvey has (7) Rushing Touchdowns, and (5) since Dobbins went down. As a pass-catcher, Harvey is 4th on the team with 62 Targets (10% Target Share), 52 Receptions, 402 Yards and 5 Touchdowns.

Offensively, the Broncos are 16th in Rushing Offense. They face a Patriots team that is 6th best in Rushing Yards Allowed per Game. Given the matchup, and the averages, we can expect Harvey to run the ball anywhere from 40 total yards to 80 total yards. He is higher variance.

As it appears, Harvey is running for nearly (4) Red Zone Touches per Game. With his (12) Touchdowns on the season, and his Red Zone role, he will still have a >50% chance to score a touchdown. This is huge for his use-ability.

DFS Debate: Rhamondre Stevenson vs RJ Harvey

This game appears to have an obvious choice. Harvey will play to about double the amount/percentage of attempts/touches that Stevenson will. His matchup is a bit tougher, but he still remains more likely to score.

In comparison, Harvey is more volatile in yardage output, but still to 10-20% more yards. He will be double as likely to find the end zone. Start Harvey with much higher volume.