Fantasy Alert: Patriots' Rhamondre Stevenson Won't Start vs. Dolphins, HC Mayo Says

Fantasy managers should look to avoid starting Rhamondre Stevenson, as New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo revealed that he won't be part of the team's first-string offense moving forward on Friday.

"Had a conversation with Rhamondre [Stevenson] and he won't be starting … I'll be upfront and transparent," Mayo told Scott Zolak of 98.5 The Sports Hub (h/t ESPN's Mike Reiss). "But he will play. And he understands he has to protect the football going forward…"

Stevenson has fumbled four times throughout New England's first four weeks of the season.

Despite his issues will ball security, Stevenson delivered two consecutive impressive fantasy performances to open the season. He rushed for a total of 201 yards and two touchdowns on 46 carries, helping the Patriots start the year with a 1-1 record.

Stevenson wasn't able to maintain his individual production in the following two games, recording a mere 66 yards on 19 attempts. He also couldn't find the end zone in either contest.

The former fourth-round pick racked up 1,461 yards from scrimmage on 279 touches in 2022. He recorded just 857 scrimmage yards in 2023, as he was limited to 12 games due to a high-ankle sprain.

Antonio Gibson will likely start in place of Stevenson on Sunday and he could be an intriguing waiver option for fantasy managers. He's currently available in 68 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues and 67 percent of ESPN leagues, via FantasyPros.

Gibson has rushed for 155 yards as a depth option this season, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. While he hasn't been able to find the end zone through four games, that could change with an increased role in New England's offense.

The 26-year-old may also be valuable in PPR leagues, as he caught three passes for 67 yards during the Patriots' 30-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4.

On Sunday, Gibson will be going up against a Miami Dolphins defense that has allowed 119.5 yards per game on the ground this season. Stevenson will still receive snaps, but he'll need to show that he can resolve his fumbling issues before Mayo inserts him back into the starting offense.