Week 6 Fantasy Football Start Em, Sit Em: TreVeyon Henderson vs. Rhamondre Stevenson

Week 6 fantasy football managers face a tough decision between TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson as New England’s backfield rotation heats up against the Saints.

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) ruswhes the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half at Gillette Stadium. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Fresh off my Drake Maye write-up for the DFS games, it makes perfect sense to take a deep dive into the Patriots' running back situation, heading into Week 6. 

RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

Last week, Rhamondre Stevenson’s heart dropped when he fumbled again in Buffalo. New England showed confidence in him rather than sending him to the showers and riding TreVeyon Henderson for the rest of the game. Stevenson responded with two rushing scores, but he struggled to find daylight all game (7/14/2 with two catches for 13 yards). New England had him on the field for 52% of their plays, just ahead of Henderson (50% - season high). This year, Stevenson is gaining only 3.7 yards per carry with no other scores.

RB TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

The season-ending injury to Antonio Gibson clears a thorn in Henderson's opportunity. Five games into his NFL career, he has yet to make a big play, which is what drove his fantasy value this summer after returning a kick for 100 yards for a touchdown. The Patriots have given him 32 rushes this year, leading to 121 yards and one touchdown (3.8 yards per carry). Henderson also has 15 catches for 90 yards.

Patriots Running Backs Matchup Against New Orleans Saints

Overall, New Orleans has played respectable defense vs. running backs (118/465/3 – 3.9 yards per carry). Backs have 26 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 30 targets. Christian McCaffrey (107 combined yards with one touchdown and six catches) and James Cook (22/117/1 with three catches for 18 yards) have had the most success.

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At this point in the year, the starting running back opportunity still favors Stevenson. He holds a slight advantage in fantasy points (53.30 to 42.10) in PPR formats when considering the Patriots have had him on the field for 48 more plays. In essence, Stevenson has touched the ball 30.4% of the time when on the field, compared to 38.2% by Henderson. 

The Verdict: Rhamondre Stevenson vs. TreVeyon Henderson

Based on this data, New England wants to get the rookie running back rolling when in the game, but he must give them a reason to ride him as the hot hand. A big game is coming for Henderson, but both Patriots’ backs offer only rotational RB3 value for fantasy teams looking to cover a short-term injury or a bye week. 

I expect New England to pick on LB Pete Werner (13/163/0 on 17 targets) and LB Demario Davis (14/144/2 on 19 targets) in coverage in this game, hinting at Henderson hitting on a long scoring play. 

When chasing talent players with high ceilings, I don’t want to miss out on a difference-maker game. Therefore, I’m playing Henderson this week, and I would start him over Stevenson if I had that choice.