As we inch toward the new season, the ever-changing NFL landscape has player fantasy values constantly on the move. Whether you’re used to the dynasty platform or are still learning the rules, let’s dive into the latest dynasty fantasy football value of Rhamondre Stevenson.
Rhamondre Stevenson’s Dynasty Outlook and Value
Undoubtedly the most exciting part of this roster from a fantasy perspective, Stevenson took a massive step forward in 2022.
The Patriots seem to draft running backs every season. Just two years after taking Damien Harris in the third round, the Patriots took Stevenson in the fourth. As a rookie, he was way more involved than Harris was in the latter’s first year, foreshadowing Stevenson becoming the guy in this backfield.
Stevenson averaged 9.6 ppg in his first NFL season. While most games saw him back up Harris, Stevenson was on the field for over 50% of the snaps three times. In those contests, he scored 27.4, 7.8, and 22.7 fantasy points. Stevenson’s RB3 status as a rookie wasn’t what mattered — it was the clear upside he displayed when given a primary role.
In his second season, Stevenson made quick work of dispatching Harris as the main back. His 65% snap share on the season was 12th at the position, and he posted 1,461 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns. Stevenson averaged 14.7 ppg, which, in a down year for running backs, was good for an RB1 finish overall (RB10).
MORE: Dynasty Rankings 2023 — Top Fantasy Options at Running Back
Stevenson is big and not very fast. In fact, he’s probably one of the least athletic starting running backs in the NFL. Yet, he not only averaged 5.0 yards per carry, but he did a lot of it on his own.
The Patriots generated just 1.6 yards before contact for Stevenson. As you may have deduced with simple math, that means Stevenson was creating 3.4 yards by himself. Overall, he averaged 3.43 yards created per touch, inside the top 10. His 40% evaded-tackles-per-touch rate was top three. For a slow, unathletic plodder, Stevenson was pretty elusive.
Most encouraging for Stevenson’s fantasy outlook was his receiving usage. He commanded a 17.3% target share, which was fourth in the league among RBs. He averaged 18.3 routes run per game and ran a route on 57.6% of the Patriots’ pass plays, sixth-most in the league. At times, Stevenson was used as a true three-down back.
It is worth noting that over the final two weeks of the season, with Harris fully healthy, Stevenson played just 50% of the snaps. His receiving usage remained the same, but he only carried the ball six and eight times in those games.
Rhamondre Stevenson’s Fantasy Ranking
Dynasty managers can and should view Stevenson as an RB1, both short and long-term. However, he does carry a little more risk than others, given the possibility he could fall into more of a timeshare.
Stevenson should remain the lead back, but at times, he looked like a top-five fantasy running back last season. If he goes from a 70% snap share guy to a 50% snap share guy, he’s more high-end RB2 than elite RB1. We have him at RB13 (No. 44 overall) in our dynasty Superflex rankings.
With that said, the state of the running back position is miserable right now, as we have so many great talents from the 2015-2018 range starting to decline. Stevenson is 25 years old and just posted an RB1 season on a bad offense in a year where he didn’t score many touchdowns. There’s still a whole lot more room to grow here.
Additionally, Harris’ rookie deal is up, and he’s not expected back in New England. That sets Stevenson up to take another step forward in 2023.
There’s still the question of what the Patriots will do with him after his rookie deal is up following the 2024 season. But outside of a very small number of backs, we really can’t look that far ahead. Stevenson is a valuable fantasy asset and can help fantasy managers win championships now and later. He’s a fine target at cost in dynasty startup drafts.