With fantasy football managers looking for a midseason boost to their lineup via the waiver wire, the Week 10 deadline could prove to be pivotal. Several options dot the free agency pool in the majority of leagues. With a matchup against the Browns on the horizon, should Rhamondre Stevenson or Brandon Bolden be the priority on the waiver wire?
Rhamondre Stevenson had a career day against the Carolina Panthers
Saying someone had a “career day” in just their fifth career game might be a bit misleading, but that doesn’t mean it’s false. While he didn’t find paydirt, Stevenson had a substantial impact in the Patriots’ Week 9 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Stevenson rushed 10 times on Sunday for 62 yards while adding 44 yards receiving on 2 receptions (2 targets). Despite playing on just 17 snaps (27%), Stevenson managed to end the day as the RB17 in half-PPR scoring. It was the first 100-yard scrimmage game of his young career, but it might have come at a cost as Stevenson finds himself on the injury report heading into Week 10. However, he is not alone.
Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson both left Week 9 early due to injuries
Damien Harris, who has been the bell cow for the Patriots this season, left the game last week in the second half due to a concussion. Harris had rushed 15 times for 30 yards and a TD before exiting. He came into the game having posted at least 80 rushing yards in three straight weeks.
Unfortunately, Harris was not the only Patriots RB to leave the game, as Stevenson was also forced out due to a concussion. Both players have been placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
tell us. But we’ll have to wait and see, for sure.”
It’s never ideal when players head into the concussion protocol and leave no true timetable for return. With that said, if only one of Harris or Stevenson can come back for a Week 10 matchup against the Browns, they would be in for a significant workload. That’s especially true given that the Patriots are a top-10 team in rushing attempts per game (27.3).
Keep a close eye on Brandon Bolden as we await news on the Patriots’ backfield
The person who could stand to gain the most from the current situation is Brandon Bolden. Should both Stevenson and Harris miss Week 10, the Patriots would be down to Bolden and J.J. Taylor on their running back depth chart. Bolden saw a season-high snap rate last week (47%) and also set a new 2021 high with 8 carries for 54 yards. Additionally, he added 27 yards on 2 receptions (8 routes).
Related | NFL Week 9 Fantasy Football Takeaways: James Conner dominates and Patrick Mahomes hits rock bottom
Bolden has been operating as a receiving back this season, filling in the role that James White and Rex Burkhead once occupied. Twice this year (Weeks 4 and 7), Bolden recorded 50 or more receiving yards, seeing at least 6 targets in each contest. He would be a sneaky pivot play for fantasy managers, especially those in PPR leagues.
Both Stevenson and Bolden deserve consideration on the Week 10 waiver wire
In most leagues, Stevenson should be available on the waiver wire. Depending on what platform you use, he is rostered in roughly 6% to 10% of fantasy leagues. Assuming he’s healthy, Stevenson is a safer option than Bolden and would be startable as a flex play in the majority of fantasy leagues. With that said, we are several days away from kickoff, and he still needs to clear concussion protocol.
Boldon is essentially the last man standing should both Harris and Stevenson fail to clear concussion protocols. He would generally be the riskier play, but even if only one of Harris or Stevenson misses Week 10, Bolden would offer value as a change of pace back.
It’s hard to spend a significant portion of FAAB or a high waiver claim based on speculation, but if things break right, Bolden could be an RB3/flex for the week.
I would not go crazy with the amount I would spend, but I would target Stevenson or Bolden in Week 10 when making waiver wire claims with the hope they could be helpful.