There are a ton of players coming down to game time decisions this week, and tonight's Patriots/Falcons matchup is no different.
Cordarrelle Patterson injured his ankle during last week's loss to Dallas. The ankle was expected to be worse, but the versatile running back was back at practice Tuesday in a limited fashion. He is still listed as a game time decision.
If Patterson plays, he has a bad matchup against the stout New England defense. That being said, the Pats defense generally allows one or two opposing players to be fantasy-relevant, even in blowouts. As a hybrid running back/wide receiver, Patterson has the best chance on the Atlanta offense to have a decent day. He isn't going to be 100% even if he does play, and that lessens his chances of having the breakout plays required for him to post reliable fantasy numbers.
If Patterson does not play, that leaves Mike Davis and Wayne Gallman to lead the Atlanta backfield. No Falcons running back has really been successful against...anyone...on the ground, including Patterson. His value lies in the passing game. Davis and Gallman have close to zero fantasy value in this matchup, whether Patterson plays or no.
Damien Harris suffered a concussion against Carolina week 9 and missed last week's matchup against Cleveland. Rookie Rhamondre Stevenson took over and put up a monster day, rushing 20 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns, adding 4 receptions for 14 yards on top.
Harris has cleared protocols and will return to action tonight against Atlanta. When Harris is playing, you start him, especially in a matchup like this one. The real question is, how much did the rookie Stevenson's ridiculous outing impact Harris's usage moving forward?
Harris is a traditional downhill runner, while Stevenson is more of the modern hybrid power runner/pass catcher we see flooding the NFL. Harris is expected to remain getting the majority of the carries, but don't be surprised if Stevenson has earned himself a larger share of the snaps.
In summary, Patterson is a risky play even if he does suit up. And Mike Davis and Wayne Gallman shouldn't be started either way. Harris will play, and should be started, but so should Rhamondre Stevenson. He won't be the overall RB2 like he was last week, but if we see a more even split between Harris and himself, Stevenson has high flex value in what projects to be a blowout for New England.
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