The New England Patriots‘ backfield enters the 2025 season with intrigue and uncertainty as veteran Rhamondre Stevenson battles through an unspecified injury that has sidelined him during the preseason. Also, explosive rookie TreVeyon Henderson is battling the veteran for New England’s RB1 role.
Fantasy football managers find themselves weighing the merits of a proven workhorse against an electrifying newcomer in what promises to be a compelling battle for touches. Under new head coach Mike Vrabel’s power-running philosophy, both backs could carve out meaningful roles in the Patriots’ revamped offensive approach.
What Is Rhamondre Stevenson’s Injury?
Stevenson has been dealing with an undefined injury sustained early in August. While it sidelined him during the preseason, he should be available for Week 1 barring a setback. If Stevenson sits, Antonio Gibson would fill his role while Henderson remains the satellite back.
Stevenson’s fantasy outlook presents a classic case of floor versus ceiling, particularly as managers debate his value across different league formats. His interior running style and red-zone prowess suggest he’ll remain a fixture in goal-line situations, even as Henderson’s versatility threatens to steal passing-down work.
The Patriots’ offensive improvements under Vrabel may not be enough to transform them into a high-scoring unit, creating unique challenges for fantasy evaluation. Smart managers must balance Stevenson’s projectable volume against the limitations of what’s expected to remain one of the NFL’s lower-scoring offenses.
Stevenson’s Fantasy Football Outlook
Stevenson is the much less flashy option in the Patriots’ backfield compared to the rookie Henderson, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no value here.
Henderson is an explosive runner who can make an impact in the passing game, but Stevenson’s interior running should keep him in line for touches, especially in the red zone, where he could get goal-line carries.
We all know how Vrabel likes to run the football, so he’ll likely keep a power back like Stevenson involved in the offense.
Stevenson is more appealing in Best Ball to round out a RB room with some projectable volume because you can’t only roster lottery-ticket handcuffs at risk of taking too many zeroes in your lineup.
#Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson joins @RapSheet and me on Inside Training Camp on @nflnetwork. On dropping 10 pounds: “I’m trying to unlock breakaway speed” and “having TreVeyon (Henderson) coming in here running a 4.3. Let me get my speed up.” pic.twitter.com/7k0SRg9skd
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 31, 2025
Stevenson is less appealing in redraft leagues because of the limited upside. Despite the Patriots’ improvements on offense, this is still projected to be one of the lowest-scoring units in the NFL.
In these types of formats, I’m more willing to stash my bench with backups with more upside but less standalone value because I don’t have to worry about them producing zeroes.
