Patriots Cut Hassan Haskins After Kiner Trade, Backfield Gets Crowded
New England released Haskins to make room for a trade with Arizona, jamming six backs into one room and muddying every depth-chart read.
Roster churn doesn't touch the guy who put up 206 PPR points last year.
- Haskins released to clear room for Kiner trade
- Haskins played all 3 preseason games in NE
- Six RBs now in the Patriots room
- Henderson: 206 PPR pts in 2025 (17 games)
- Stevenson: 175 PPR pts in 2025 (14 games)
New England moved on from Hassan Haskins on Saturday, announcing his release in the same breath as confirming a trade with Arizona for Emari Kiner. Haskins had only signed with the team earlier this month, but he still logged snaps in all three preseason games before the door hit him on the way out.
The former Titans fourth-round pick from 2022 spent his last two seasons with the Chargers before this short New England stint. His departure isn't a fantasy earthquake on its own — he wasn't drafted anywhere that mattered — but it's a useful tell about how the Patriots see their backfield.
A Backfield That Won't Stop Adding Bodies
Kiner walks into a room that already houses TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, Lan Larison, JaMycal Hasty, and seventh-round rookie Jam Miller. That's six running backs for a workload that realistically supports two, maybe three, fantasy-relevant roles. Cutting Haskins to add Kiner tells you the front office is still shopping, not settling.
For redraft purposes, the churn at the back of the room doesn't change the top of it. Henderson is the one to build around — he sits at our RB21 (#60 overall) after posting 911 rush yards and nine touchdowns across 17 games in 2025, good for 206 PPR points. Stevenson is right behind at RB25 (#86 overall) off 175 PPR points in 14 games last season, and his last five outings ran +7.5 fantasy points above his own average, so he's not fading quietly.
The real read here: this is a committee, and it's getting more crowded, not less. Every low-end name New England adds nibbles at the goal-line and third-down equity that separates a startable back from a bench flier. Henderson's efficiency profile keeps him ahead of the pack, but the ceiling is capped as long as the depth chart looks like a training-camp headcount.
Fantasy managers should HOLD Henderson as a weekly flex with upside and treat Stevenson as a bye-week fill-in who could spike given his hot finish to 2025. Ignore Haskins entirely — he's a free agent now — and don't rush to stash Kiner until we see how the touches actually shake out. This is a wait-and-watch situation everywhere below the top two.
