Situation Not Right For TreVeyon Henderson To Reach Full Fantasy Football Potential Yet

After the Patriots selected him in the second round of the 2025 Draft, TreVeyon Henderson was a trendy sleeper pick heading into last season. While he had his moments, the presence of Rhamondre Stevenson ultimately capped his upside. Stevenson returns this year, which should muddy the waters for Henderson in fantasy football again.

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Slow Start

Henderson didn’t get much work out of the gate during his rookie campaign. Over his first seven games, he received double-digit carries just one time. That one game didn’t exactly go well, either, as he turned 11 carries into just 28 yards versus the Steelers in Week 3. Given that he received 25 or fewer offensive snaps in five of the seven games, he just wasn’t on the field enough to make a significant difference in the running game. He also had just one touchdown over those seven matchups.

If there was a glimmer of hope for Henderson in the early going, it’s that he was involved in the passing game. In Week 1, he hauled in all six of his targets for 24 yards against the Raiders. Across his first five games, he caught 15 of his 16 targets. However, he totaled only 90 yards. During that same stretch, Stevenson caught 13 of 15 targets for 154 yards. He averaged 1.62 yards per route run, compared to 1.27 for Henderson.

Leading Role With Stevenson Injured

Stevenson missed a three-game stretch from Week 9 through Week 11 because of injury. The Patriots leaned on Henderson during that span, having him log at least 51 offensive snaps in each game. In two of them, he finished with at least two touchdowns. His best performance came in Week 10 against the Buccaneers when he ran 14 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Per the 4for4 Fantasy Points Browser, Henderson ranked third in fantasy points scored among running backs during that span (68.0). The only running backs who finished ahead of him were Christian McCaffrey (78.0) and De’Von Achane (70.1). That’s impressive company.

When Stevenson returned, Henderson still maintained an increased workload for a few games. However, following their Week 14 bye, he once again saw limited time on the field. He smoked the Bills for 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Week 15, but he only logged 25 offensive snaps in the matchup. In the next three games, he totaled just 37 rushing attempts, 138 yards, and two touchdowns. During that stretch, he only averaged 24.0 offensive snaps. Stevenson averaged 40.3 offensive snaps across those matchups.

No Backfield Change For 2026

After reaching the Super Bowl last year, the Patriots upgraded at wide receiver. They acquired A.J. Brown from the Eagles and signed Romeo Doubs away from the Packers. Their backfield remains unchanged, though, with Henderson and Stevenson both returning. Henderson might represent the future of the Patriots’ backfield, but Stevenson isn’t exactly a dinosaur. He is only 28 years old as he prepares to enter his sixth season in the NFL. He doesn’t exactly have a ton of tread on his tires, either, considering he received fewer than 160 rushing attempts in three of his first five seasons.

In addition to Stevenson likely maintaining a significant role, the Patriots will have a more difficult schedule this season. Last season, they played nine games against teams that allowed at least 24.9 points per game. According to 4for4 Hot Spots: Team Level Strength of Schedule, the Patriots have the fifth-most difficult schedule this year. If they find themselves in more difficult games in which they aren’t just trying to salt the clock away in the fourth quarter, they could have fewer rushing attempts, in general.

The combination of Stevenson and a more difficult schedule has left Henderson with an ADP of 50, per 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP. That makes him RB21, between D'Andre Swift (ADP 49) and David Montgomery (ADP 51). If anything were to happen to Stevenson again, Henderson can be a high-end RB2 in fantasy. However, given the presence of a healthy Stevenson, he should be viewed as a low-end RB2. He may even be better suited to be deployed as a flex option.

The Bottom Line

• Although the Patriots used a high draft pick on TreVeyon Henderson, he was deployed sparingly to begin last season.
• When Stevenson was sidelined for a three-week span, Henderson showed that he can shine in a leading role.
• The Patriots made changes at wide receiver during the offseason, but Henderson and Stevenson will both return in the backfield, capping both of their upsides.
• According to 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP, Henderson has an ADP of 50 and is RB21.
• Henderson has shown that he can be a productive fantasy option, but with Stevenson still in the picture, he shouldn’t be considered as anything more than a low-end RB2, or maybe even as a flex option.