Rhamondre Stevenson or Corey Kiner Start or Sit Advice for Week 7

Rhamondre Stevenson or Corey Kiner Start or Sit Advice for Week 7

The New England Patriots’ offense got off to a slow start this season with rough outings against the Seahawks and the Jaguars. They turned things around in Week 4, though, with a big win on the road in Buffalo, and have looked very strong in their three straight wins. While things have been clicking for QB Drake Maye and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, the running game is still unsettled with Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, and Corey Kiner all getting involved over the last few weeks. In Week 7, the Patriots visit the Bears for Thursday Night Football, but can you start Stevenson or Kiner in your fantasy football lineup for this week? Let’s take a look at the recent production and see what to expect this week.

Before we break down each running back specifically, let’s look at the overall matchup, which isn’t great. The Bears have done a good job of limiting opposing running backs this season, allowing the fifth-fewest FPTS per game to the position. Opposing running backs have only scored four total touchdowns in six games, and only Aaron Jones was able to reach 100 rushing yards against them. Overall, running backs have averaged just 78.5 rushing yards and 23.3 receiving yards per contest against the Bears defense.

While there may not be that much production to go around, Stevenson will still likely be first in line for the most work. He has played at least 60% of snaps in three straight games and led the team with 14 carries last week. However, he managed just 36 rushing yards and has been held to under 50 rushing yards in four of his last five games, despite 13+ carries in each of his last three contests. Rhamondre did have a rushing touchdown along with three catches in both Week 4 against the Bills and Week 5 against the Raiders. In Week 6, though, he didn’t have a touchdown or a target, only managing 3.6 FPTS, his lowest output of the season.

TreVeyon Henderson didn’t look likely to play in Week 6 after sustaining an ankle injury in Week 5 against the Raiders, but he was able to play through the injury and produce 31 rushing yards on seven carries. However, he lost a critical fumble, continuing the Patriots’ issues with turnovers. He is still a big-play threat, but it’s best to leave him on the bench for fantasy until he is healthier and in a more substantial role.

Coach Mike Vrabel Vrabel leaned on Kiner for most of the Patriots’ closing scoring drive against the Jets. He got eight straight carries, and churned out 42 rushing yards in the closing minutes of a one-possession game. Kiner carried the ball to the six-yard line at the two-minute warning before Stevenson replaced him. Kiner ended up with a team-high 57 rushing yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry, substantially more than Stevenson’s 2.6 yards per carry.

Each of the three running backs for the Patriots has had trouble with fumbles this season, and with the team turning the ball over so often, any of them could lose playing time if they lose the ball again. It’s a very volatile situation with a wide range of outcomes now that Kiner has entered the mix alongside Stevenson and Henderson.

Henderson is not likely to be 100%, especially with the short week, and since he’s getting a limited workload, he’s not the best play. The other two options both offer touchdown-dependent upside against the Bears, despite the tough matchup. Stevenson is a low-end RB2 or solid FLEX play in standard-sized leagues. Kiner is also worth a look on the waiver wire if you’re desperate for a plug-and-play option at running back. He’s extremely high-risk but is worth a speculative pickup to see if he can continue to earn a larger share of the workload.

For DFS contests like the NFL Showdown $1.25M Thursday Night Showdown [$300K to 1st] (NE @ CHI) on DraftKings, Stevenson has a $7,800 salary in a FLEX spot, while Henderson has a $5,800 salary and Kiner has a $1,400 salary in that spot. The timeshare and matchup make all of them too high-risk to be a solid play at Captain, but any one of them could be a strong FLEX play if they find the end zone. Stevenson is the best start option since he has the best chance of scoring a touchdown, but Kiner deserves consideration as a value play after last week’s strong performance as well.

Start or Sit: Start Rhamondre Stevenson as a touchdown-dependent FLEX play

Start or Sit: Sit Corey Kiner in most leagues, but consider stashing in deep formats