With Rhamondre Stevenson battling a toe injury, rookie TreVeyon Henderson has taken on an advanced role for the New England Patriots. But when Stevenson does return, he will still have a large role in New England's running back plans.
He won't play in Week 11 however, giving Henderson another opportunity to shine. Still, fantasy football managers should be aware of how the Patriots plan to use Stevenson when he's healthy enough to play, via Dan Graziano of ESPN.
“Once Stevenson is back, I do expect him to reclaim his former role as the Patriots' main between-the-tackles runner, despite the way rookie TreVeyon Henderson has performed in his absence,” Graziano wrote. “The Pats still trust the veteran Stevenson more in certain spots and would like to continue using both of them. Henderson's explosiveness on outside runs is something that hasn't surprised the Patriots — they took him in the second round for a reason, after all — and they might look to incorporate more of those even once Stevenson is back.”
Henderson put on a show against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, rushing for 147 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots aren't going to stop dialing up explosive players for the rookie.
But Stevenson is still expected to get a large slice of the offensive pie on re-arrival. Before suffering his injury, he gained 279 yards and three touchdowns on 83 carries. New England still believes in what Stevenson has to offer.
Still, it's hard to ignore what Henderson has been able to accomplish. It'll be a tricky situation for fantasy football managers, as no one runner will get the lion's share of carries. Both Stevenson and Henderson will be active in the game plan, making figuring out who will be that week's high scorer even more difficult.
