Fantasy Football Injury Update: TreVeyon Henderson Practicing Spoils Rhamondre Stevenson's Expanded Role

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New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) runs the ball against Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce (51) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

TreVeyon Henderson suffered an ankle injury that forced him to make an early exit against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5. With initial reports revealing that Henderson could miss multiple weeks with a sprained ankle, Rhamondre Stevenson was poised for an expanded role as the clear featured back for the New England Patriots.

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In a surprising turn of events, Henderson is practicing for a third straight day on Friday, which could put a slight damper on Stevenson's fantasy football outlook in Week 6.

How does Henderson's injury update affect Stevenson and the Patriots' backfield from a fantasy football perspective?

All stats used in this article are from PFF or Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise. Fantasy rankings and fantasy point totals are courtesy of FantasyPros.

Fantasy Impact

TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first half at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After missing Week 1, Henderson is only the RB47 in fantasy points per game (6.6) from Week 2 to Week 5. Since scoring 13.6 fantasy points in Week 2, Henderson has failed to clear 5.0 fantasy points in his other three games this season.

Despite Henderson's big-play ability, the Patriots trust Stevenson more on passing downs, as Stevenson has 102 receiving snaps (compared to Henderson's 41 receiving snaps). Even if Henderson suits up in Week 6, he's nothing more than a risky flex option right now.

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) scores a two point conversion during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at New Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stevenson seemed to be set up for an expanded role with Henderson potentially inactive, propelling him into RB1 status. While Stevenson could still see an uptick in snaps with Henderson banged up, the second-year back could still steal snaps if he's active on Sunday against the New York Jets.

Across the first five weeks, Stevenson is the RB20 in fantasy points per game (12.2), and he's posted 17-plus fantasy points in back-to-back weeks. Stevenson would be a strong RB2 option with Henderson active and a solid RB1 if Henderson is ruled out in the coming days.

Corey Kiner, RB, New England Patriots

New England Patriots running back Corey Kiner (9) warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Whenever it was announced that Henderson was dealing with a sprained ankle that would sideline him for multiple weeks, the door opened for Corey Kiner to potentially spell Stevenson. Kiner became a deep sleeper in fantasy football leagues, especially after rushing for a season-high 52 yards on 6 attempts in Week 5.

Although Kiner was always going to be a risky option, even if Henderson was unable to play, he'd become a non-factor in New England's rushing attack if Henderson suited up in Week 6.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Fantasy Football Injury Update: TreVeyon Henderson Practicing Spoils Rhamondre Stevenson's Expanded Role.

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