RB 33 – Rhamondre Stevenson NE

The New England Patriots are in a state of transformation, but it is also quite familiar. New Head Coach Mike Vrabel comes back to a place he was successful, and he’s bringing Josh McDaniels with him. Both are no stranger to Foxsboro, and they collectively drafted running back TreVeyon Henderson with the 38th overall pick. There is a great deal of hype around Henderson, but Rhamondre Stevenson is still the starter.

Stevenson managed 801 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on a horrific 2024 offense. He also had five games in which he recorded 11 snaps or less, which makes his stats even more impressive. Stevenson also caught 33 of his 39 targets for 168 yards, and in 2022 had 69 receptions. McDaniels’ offenses run often, and the Patriots have several examples of dual running backs having fantasy relevance. Look for Stevenson to have a bounce back season, and possibly finish as a mid range RB two.

LB 33 – Tremaine Edmunds CHI

Edmunds is entering his 8th season in the NFL, and third for the Chicago Bears. The 27 year old still has plenty of tread on the tires, and will be important to the Bears defense. He played 1,055 snaps last season, earning 106 combined tackles, 76 of which were solo. Edmunds also has 10 career interceptions, and is a better than average coverage linebacker.

Chicago has a new Head Coach, Ben Johnson, and the offense will have growing pains. This should benefit Bears IDPs, including Edmunds. He is the definition of a tackling machine, and this is where most of his points come from. Edmunds has over 100 tackles in all seven seasons, and last year’s 76 solo tackles were the fewest of his career. He has an opportunity to go over the century mark once again, and has one of the safest floors in fantasy football. Do not hesitate to grab Edmunds early and have a plug and play starter for the season.

Come back tomorrow as we break down RB and LB #32. Subscribe to The Sports Affiliation for this and other articles sent directly to your email.

Bet Smart, Be Lucky -Iggy-