Can Rhamondre Stevenson Reincarnate LeGarrette Blount For The Patriots?
I scooped up Rhamondre Stevenson in my fantasy league for $1. We draft before the draft itself so realistically I was waiting for a good landing spot. If not, I could just cut bait. Of course, we know now that Stevenson was drafted by the Patriots… the hardest team to project when it comes to running back usage.
Still, I just kept having one thought in my head. Can Rhamondre Stevenson reincarnate LeGarrette Blount for the Patriots? New England picked the big bodied Oklahoma back for a reason. There has to be a plan here. The only thought in the building has to be finding their next Blount, right?
From a fantasy perspective, it’s probably wise to steer clear of Patriots running backs. You never know how Bill Belichick is going to use his backs. One minute Jonas Gray is hottest thing in town. The next he’s totally off the roster. If you can find the right New England running back, then you’re cooking.
That man was Mr. Blount who spent 3.5 seasons with the Pats. It doesn’t matter how you slice it, Blount was fantasy relevant in New England. Mostly because he was a touchdown hog. Blount single handily won me my fantasy championship in 2016 on the heels of a 16 touchdown campaign out of nowhere.
The Patriots want to run the football and control the clock late with a lead. Especially in the red zone, they love pounding that sucker in there. That could be Stevenson’s bread and butter (Not like the pickles. They suck. Dill pickles all the way).
Damien Harris should enter the season as the primary back. Who the hell knows with Sony Michel but his knees are busted anyway. We already know what James White is. There’s no reason Stevenson can’t carve out a significant role between the tackles and anything short yardage. That’s what he did at Oklahoma.
The biggest X-Factor here is Cam Newton. Any time Newton starts, he’s going to steal too many rushing touchdowns. Stevenson is essentially worthless in fantasy if Newton is under center. However, when Mac daddy Jones takes over, you’re not fooling anybody. The 247 pound hammer is getting the rock.
Maybe this is more of a long term thing. Maybe Stevenson doesn’t help you this year in fantasy. Still, I’m leaning towards keeping Stevenson. There’s gotta be a method to the madness here. I can’t help but think Bill sees Blount. I’m not going to miss out on the 18 touchdown season because I was snoozing.
Let Monkey Knife Fight know that we sent you! Signup now using this link or use promo code ‘VENDETTA’ for a 100% instant match on any deposit up to $100!
