The New England Patriots' running back situation was excruciating to follow for fantasy football managers last year. Despite TreVeyon Henderson being a much more effective running back in terms of production, Mike Vrabel and the coaching staff seemed to rely a lot more on Rhamondre Stevenson. The result was an inconsistent week-by-week output for both running backs, as their usage in games proved to be rather unpredictable.
This season seems to be more of the same for the Patriots. Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler talked a little bit about New England's running back room and why it's still troubling fantasy managers. Graziano pointed out that heading into Week 2, many thought that the Pittsburgh Steelers' scheme would favor Henderson, but it's not a sign that things would go the same for them.
“But talking to some of their people Sunday morning, it sounded like they thought this was a particularly good matchup for Henderson because of the amount of zone defense Pittsburgh plays,” Graziano notes. “I wonder if the Patriots will be as comfortable leaning on him that much every week or whether it remains a timeshare. They value Stevenson's abilities as a pass protector, and he certainly was vital for them as a runner last season on their way to the Super Bowl. Vrabel stood by Stevenson during last year's early-season fumble issues, and there's no indication he won't do so again.”
Henderson did account for 60% of the Patriots' snaps in Week 2, and he finished with a respectable 13.6 fantasy points across all formats. However, it's incredibly hard to rely on Henderson considering his usage last season. Even with Stevenson's struggles with ball security, he still got significant playing time last season.
The Patriots will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3. Henderson should be active again for this contest. Can fantasy owners trust Henderson and the Patriots coaching staff to utilize the electric running back again this week?