Should You Start Damien Harris Or Rhamondre Stevenson Vs. Miami Dolphins?

The Miami Dolphins host the New England Patriots in Week 1 of the NFL season, and we have you covered on all the fantasy football angles of this matchup. One of the key questions is whether fantasy managers should start running backs Damien Harris or Rhamondre Stevenson against the Dolphins. Let’s dive into which Patriots running back is a viable play for Week 1 and why you might start either.

Should you start Damien Harris vs. Dolphins?

The Patriots’ offense is still a bit of a mystery for us after coordinator Josh McDaniels was replaced by a strange duo of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. The preseason reports of Mac Jones struggling aren’t surprising considering this unit lacks speed and playmakers who are easy to build roles for. The running backs are talented, but their usage may vary.

We believe Harris will continue to be the RB1 for New England and is ranked RB34 and No. 76 overall in our expert fantasy football rankings. He was a touchdown monster last year, earning 15 scores and 929 yards on 202 carries. It’s a smart bet to believe he’ll continue being a red-zone star and earn the majority of those valuable opportunities.

Miami was one of the stronger fantasy defenses against RBs last year and return much of their talented defense and defensive coordinator Josh Boyer. However, Harris was a solid fantasy player in both games against Miami last year. He totaled 34 carries for 137 yards and one rushing score, plus six receptions for 53 yards.

Harris is a borderline Flex play for most fantasy managers in Week 1. His value comes from being effective in the red zone. He’s certainly startable depending on your other options, but Harris is a solid floor, medium-ceiling option against Miami. Consider what your matchup needs are versus your opponent.

A good barometer is to see what our friends at Underdog Fantasy are projecting. They have Harris’ fantasy points at 9.55. That’s a fair total. If he’s in that range, then Harris is a fine Flex option against the Dolphins.

Does Rhamondre Stevenson have fantasy value?

Is this the year Stevenson takes over the backfield from Harris? Harris is in a contract year, and Stevenson fits the Patriots’ new outside-zone preference better than Harris. However, we haven’t seen Stevenson earn the distinction as the clear top back, so it’s hard to put blind faith he’ll take over in Week 1 of the new season.

Our fantasy teams could be tanked if we go all in on Stevenson. While his efficiency was solid last year — creating 4.6 yards per rush for a total of 606 yards and five scores on the ground — nothing screams “star.” We also have to consider the possibility of newcomers Pierre Strong Jr. and Ty Montgomery eating into this rotation on passing downs.

Underdog has Stevenson’s projected fantasy points at 9.35, slightly lower than Harris’ total. That seems too high considering Miami’s quality defense and how New England is breaking in so many new pieces themselves. You’d bank on this only if you believe Stevenson will earn the lion’s share of touches.

I’m fading Stevenson’s fantasy value against Miami in Week 1.