Player outlook
TreVeyon Henderson already took over once.
Henderson turned 53 first-half carries into 127 after the midpoint and scored nine late rushing touchdowns. New England still calls its backfield a tandem, keeping his second-year leap exciting but incomplete.
TreVeyon Henderson had 53 carries in his first eight NFL games and 127 in his final nine. The Patriots did not announce a takeover. They simply gave the rookie more work, and he answered with 683 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns after the midpoint.
That finish is why Henderson is one of the most tempting backs in the fifth-round range. It is also why his current depth-chart label matters less than the workload trend. Rhamondre Stevenson remains involved, but the younger back already led New England in touches, scrimmage yards, and touchdowns.
Ball Ranks places Henderson 58th overall and RB24 in PPR with 188.1 projected points. His 61.5 ADP is a few spots later. We like the second-year rise, while stopping short of projecting the second half as a 17-game certainty.
TreVeyon Henderson's depth chart
NE at RB, using the league's published depth chart.
| # | Player | 2025 snap shareAverage share of offensive snaps in the games he played, 2025 regular season. Green = entrenched, amber = rotational, gray = fringe. Check GP: a backup can post a real share in mop-up games while barely playing all season. | GPGames he appeared in, 2025 regular season — the denominator behind the snap share | 2025 finish2025 fantasy finish at the position (PPR) | 2026 projModel One's projected 2026 rank at the position (PPR) | ADPAverage draft position in real drafts this week — whether the market is drafting him at all is its own threat signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhamondre Stevenson | 59%Snap share is averaged over the games he actually played (14). | 14 | RB25 | RB27 | 67.8 |
| 1 | Reggie GilliamFBFullback — a blocking back whose snaps usually overlap the lead back's instead of replacing them. | 21%Snap share is averaged over the games he actually played (11). Snap share earned with BUF, not NE. | 11 | RB123 | RB158 | undrafted |
| 2 | TreVeyon Henderson | 46%Snap share is averaged over the games he actually played (17). | 17 | RB21 | RB24 | 61.5 |
| 5 | Hassan Haskins | 10%Snap share is averaged over the games he actually played (11). Snap share earned with LAC, not NE. | 11 | RB108 | RB124 | undrafted |
Snap share and finish are 2025; projections and ADP are 2026 (Model One, PPR). "Undrafted" means no ADP in real drafts this week.
The rookie season changed after eight games
Henderson's first eight games produced 228 rushing yards, 16 catches for 99 yards, one touchdown, and 52.7 PPR points. His final nine produced 683 rushing yards, 19 catches for 122 yards, nine touchdowns, and 153.5 points.
The carry change did most of the work. He went from 6.6 rushes per game to 14.1, while his targets rose only modestly. That is a real role transition, not a fantasy total inflated solely by one long reception.
Touchdowns still added volatility. Nine rushing scores in nine games are difficult to repeat, even on a strong offense. Henderson finished the year with 206.2 PPR points, 1,132 scrimmage yards, and ten total touchdowns while playing 45.9% of the offensive snaps. A player can be highly productive at that share; a projection should not assume every late score returns.
The first-round-adjacent draft capital supports patience. New England selected Henderson 38th overall in 2025, then gave him the most touches on the team as a rookie. His path to more work does not require an injury or a new coaching staff to discover him.
New England still describes a tandem
The Patriots' running back preview calls Henderson and Stevenson an important tandem. It says Henderson is positioned for a second-year leap if he improves his run reads and pass protection, while identifying depth behind the top two — not the lead job — as the primary camp competition.
That framing is useful. Stevenson is not a disposable backup. He remains listed with Henderson at the top of the room and can handle early downs, protection, and short-yardage work. Henderson's late-season surge makes him the more explosive fantasy bet, but New England has every reason to preserve both over 17 games.
The depth-chart visual belongs here because role competition is central. Henderson can outperform RB24 without being listed first or reaching 70% of snaps. He needs the late-season carry advantage to persist and enough passing work to keep poor game scripts from erasing him.
The offense should create scoring chances
Drake Maye returns after an MVP runner-up season, and New England added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs to the passing game. Better receivers can pull defenders away from the box and extend drives. They can also encourage more passing near the goal line.
Josh McDaniels remains the offensive coordinator and play caller, providing continuity for a second-year back still refining reads and protection. The rushing schedule grades favorable in our opponent-based calculation, while the passing schedule is difficult. That combination can keep the backfield central to weekly plans.
The Week 11 bye arrives before the fantasy playoffs. New England's late schedule includes several strong opponents, but Henderson's receiving ability gives him more routes to points than a pure early-down runner.
The honest wrinkle is that the finish may be too persuasive
Fantasy drafters naturally trust the most recent games. Henderson's final nine were excellent, but they included nine rushing touchdowns after only one total touchdown in the first eight. If the 2026 workload splits the difference and the scoring rate normalizes, his full-season total may look more like our 188.1 projection than the breakout pace.
Pass protection is another practical constraint. New England's own preview names it as an area for improvement. A missed assignment can send a young back to the sideline on exactly the third downs that carry the most PPR value.
The upside remains obvious. Henderson needs only a moderate snap increase to add 30 or 40 touches, and his second-half rushing efficiency suggests he can turn them into meaningful yards. If he separates from Stevenson in scoring-area work, RB24 will be much too low.
Draft builds should account for the range. Henderson is ideal behind one stable back because managers can wait for the workload to declare itself. Selecting him as an RB2 is still reasonable, but it increases the need for another usable runner before the later rounds.
The verdict
We would draft Henderson around pick 58 and feel best using him as an upside RB3 rather than a required weekly RB2. His late-season takeover is real evidence; the tandem and touchdown regression are real limits.
See Henderson's live projection and history on his player profile, or compare him on the complete 2026 rankings board.
Sources and data notes
- Ball Ranks board, season history, weekly splits, depth chart, and schedule calculation: August 29, 2026 snapshot.
- New England Patriots running back preview: Henderson's rookie totals, improvement areas, and the Henderson–Stevenson tandem.