Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. A source tells Schefter that Stevenson is expected to miss "a few weeks." High-ankle sprains generally cost RBs 4+ games, so don't be surprised if Stevenson misses the rest of the season. He's droppable in most fantasy leagues without an IR spot. Stevenson's absence will leave Ezekiel Elliott as New England's clear lead back -- in a true test of whether pure volume can support a fantasy RB. New England has RBs Jamycal Hasty and Ty Montgomery behind Elliott on the active roster, with RB Kevin Harris on the practice squad.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Patriots have cut RB Kevin Harris. The 2022 sixth-round pick saw minor involvement as a rookie, tallying 18 carries for 52 rushing yards and a single TD in five games. The team also released veteran Ty Montgomery. These moves come two days after New England traded fellow 2022 rookie Pierre Strong Jr. to the Browns, leaving the depth behind RBs Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott as somewhat of a question mark. It's unclear who will be the depth behind the aforementioned pair, though the RB3 on the Patriots' depth chart is probably not fantasy-relevant without injury, anyhow.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Patriots have traded RB Pierre Strong to the Browns for OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr. Cleveland has spent August thin at RB behind Nick Chubb, with Jerome Ford out nursing a hamstring injury. ESPN's Jake Trotter projected Demetric Felton as the third RB behind Chubb and Ford before this move. The trade doesn't guarantee that Strong makes the regular-season roster. But he should be a good bet to do so. Given that Ford has just eight career NFL touches on offense, it's an upside landing spot for Strong. His departure from a Patriots roster he was expected to make leaves room for at least one among Kevin Harris, Ty Montgomery, and J.J. Taylor behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott.
Patriots RBs Pierre Strong (concussion) and Ty Montgomery (leg) returned to practice on Tuesday. Strong isn’t yet cleared for full contact, per reporter Zack Cox. Montgomery sustained an undisclosed leg injury on day 2 of training camp. Neither guy is on the fantasy radar in standard-size leagues following the arrival of Zeke Elliott.
The Patriots released RB James Robinson. This was always a distinct possibility considering Robinson had $0 guaranteed money in his contract, although it's a bit surprising that he didn't even make it to training camp. Robinson turns just 25 in August but hasn't been the same player since his 2021 Achilles tear. We'll see where he latches on next, but Robinson isn't worth a roster spot in redraft leagues and has very little dynasty value at this point. His departure leaves RBs Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, Ty Montgomery, and J.J. Taylor behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson.
Per Patriots beat writer Mark Daniels, RB Ty Montgomery “looks like the leader” for the team’s third-down back role. The 30-year-old missed nearly all of last year with an injury. Montgomery’s injury history extends well beyond 2022, so he’s far from a lock to cap Rhamondre Stevenson’s upside. Also note: Stevenson proved solid as a pass-catcher in 2022, ranking top-7 among RBs in targets (88), catches (69), and yards (421). We’ll track this storyline throughout training camp.
The Patriots placed RB Ty Montgomery on IR. No word yet on the specific injury, but he's out for at least the next 4 games. Montgomery finished 2nd among Patriots RBs in snaps (36%) and tied Damien Harris for the RB lead in routes (31%) in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins, finishing with 2 carries and 4 targets. His absence opens up considerable opportunity in the passing game. It's uncertain whether Harris, RB Rhamondre Stevenson or possibly even RB Pierre Strong will capture it.
Patriots RBs Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson each got carries on the 1st offensive possession of Sunday's loss to the Dolphins. They finished nearly even -- Harris 9, Stevenson 8 -- but Harris ran more efficiently. He averaged 5.3 yards per rush to Stevenson's 3.1 and added 10 receiving yards on 2 catches among 3 targets. (Stevenson caught both of his targets for just 2 yards.) Ty Montgomery played through his questionable tag and led the backfield with 4 targets but managed just 15 yards on 3 catches and lost 2 yards on his 2 carries. Expect this backfield to remain frustrating for lineup-setting.
Patriots RB Ty Montgomery (knee) is active for today’s opener vs. the Dolphins. He’s not a fantasy option but does figure to siphon some passing-down snaps. Rookie RB Pierre Strong is a healthy scratch for New England.
Patriots RB Ty Montgomery (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's opener vs. the Dolphins after a limited week of practice. Montgomery shouldn't be in your Week 1 fantasy plans, but his absence would free up passing-down snaps -- likely for RB Rhamondre Stevenson.
Patriots RB Ty Montgomery (knee) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. That gives him a shot to play vs. the Dolphins this weekend. We'll get another update on Montgomery tomorrow.
Patriots HC Bill Belichick said Tuesday that RB Ty Montgomery (ankle) "has a shot" to play in this weekend's opener vs. the Dolphins. We'll track Montgomery's practice participation over the next few days. He shouldn't be in your Week 1 fantasy plans, but Montgomery's absence would open up passing-down snaps -- likely for RB Rhamondre Stevenson.
The Athletic's Chad Graff expects Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson to get the "bulk" of the passing-down snaps early in the season, assuming RB Ty Montgomery (ankle) is out. "And his performance in the first few weeks could dictate how much Montgomery sees the field," Graff writes. We're expecting Stevenson and Damien Harris to split carries fairly evenly this year, but Stevenson's pass-catching upside makes him the more appealing fantasy pick.
ESPN's Mike Reiss says RB Ty Montgomery is "likely" headed to short-term IR with the ankle injury he suffered in the preseason finale. That'd cost Montgomery at least the first 4 games of the season and leave RB Rhamondre Stevenson as the favorite for pass-catching work. We'll let you know if Montgomery ends up on IR.
Patriots HC Bill Belichick said in a Monday morning radio appearance that RB Ty Montgomery is "doing alright" after exiting Friday night's preseason game with an ankle injury. Belichick also insinuated that Montgomery might be able to practice this week. We'll see if we learn more about the injury, but it at least sounds like it's not serious. Montgomery is expected to play a pass-catching role in the Pats backfield.
Patriots RB Ty Montgomery suffered a leg injury in Friday night's preseason game vs. the Raiders. He was carted back to the locker room. We'll update Montgomery's status when we know more, but he's not worth a pick if you're drafting tonight. His absence would open up passing-down snaps for RBs Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson
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