The Patriots took a tough loss to the Packers in Week 9, losing 45-27. While the Patriots’ defensive struggles and turnovers played major roles in the loss, the team was also missing multiple key playmakers due to injury. Another significant injury happened in the third quarter, when Rhamondre Stevenson exited after a knee injury and was not able to return. With TreVeyon Henderson also out, Corey Kiner was the top running back available for the Patriots in the fourth quarter. Should Kiner be someone you consider on the Week 10 Waiver Wire? Is he in position to carry more of the workload in the next few weeks?
Let’s look at the latest updates on the Patriots’ running back injuries and examine Kiner’s fantasy football outlook moving forward.
Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson Injury Updates
Henderson missed the last two games for the Patriots and is battling “unexplained neurological symptoms that required hospitalization for several days.” He has no clear timeline to return but seems unlikely to return anytime soon. Without Henderson, Stevenson and Kiner have shared the load over the last two weeks against the Dolphins and Packers.
Stevenson injured his knee in the third quarter against the Packers and was unable to return. He had an MRI on Monday, but coach Mike Vrabel did not have an update.
Stevenson’s status for next week’s game is definitely uncertain, and there could be longer-term concerns depending on what the MRI reveals. The Patriots are playing next week in Germany, as they face the Lions in Munich in the early game. As a result of the extra travel needed, they may have to make a call earlier than usual on Stevenson’s status, so watch carefully for updates.
After their international game in Week 10, the Pats do have a bye Week 11, so they could opt to play it safe and get Stevenson two weeks to recover while missing only one game by holding him out in Week 10. That’s simply speculation, though, until we get a more clear idea of what Stevenson is dealing with.
Corey Kiner fantasy football outlook
Kiner got into the end zone with his first rushing touchdown of the season after Stevenson departed the game on Sunday.
In his first year with the Patriots, the former UDFA from Cincinnati has taken his 50 carries for 244 total yards and added two catches for 16 receiving yards. He finished Sunday’s game with eight carries for 55 yards to go with that touchdown and has three games in the last five weeks with 50+ yards rushing.
When asked about Kiner’s potential role if Stevenson is out, coach Mike Vrabel praised Kiner’s work overall but also noted that the RB needs to improve his ability to recognize and pick up blitzes. That could be an important factor in determining how much time he gets if Stevenson is unavailable.
Kiner will get a tough matchup if he does get the start this week in Munich, since the Lions have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. Opposing RBs have scored just five total touchdowns in eight games while averaging 72.25 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards per game.
Even though the matchup won’t be ideal, the fact that he could be the primary running back for a solid scoring offense makes him definitely worth considering from the waiver wire. If Stevenson is out, he would be a solid FLEX option with touchdown-dependent upside, and since there’s no clear idea of when either running back will be back, Kiner’s window of opportunity could extend further into the season.
The Bottom Line: Corey Kiner has FLEX upside as a Week 10 Waiver Wire pickup
Even in a tough matchup, Kiner should be one of the top names to look for if you need short-term help in the backfield for your season-long league. He could be the primary option for the Patriots for the next few weeks, depending on Stevenson’s injury news. He will not be on the main DFS slate this week since the game is early, but he’ll be a solid option in a FLEX spot in single-game Showdown contests since he’ll have good touchdown potential if he serves as the team’s primary starter.
