X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Trusting Derrick Henry (or Not) in Fantasy Playoffs

Few things give me true pleasure in watching the game of football like watching a running back rip off a long run. Derrick Henry did just that in Week 14, running for 99 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He didn't stop there, posting a memorable 238 yards and four touchdowns on the day. That's the stuff of fantasy playoff legend.

With the timing of the year being so crucial, the question I saw over and over again this week was "Can he be trusted for my lineup next week?" It's nearly impossible he approaches the same numbers, but could he at least be an RB2 after a largely disappointing season?

This article will hopefully help you make your decision because it's not an easy one.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Balance Of the Offense

The Tennessee Titans came into the offseason with a decent amount of hype. Offensive Coordinator Matt LaFleur was given the opportunity to truly run an offense after completing his apprenticeship as quarterbacks coach with the Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons and then as the OC with the Los Angeles Rams. LaFleur was going to be calling the plays for the first time, which was the reason widely accepted as to why he left Los Angeles, and the expectation was he would bring a small part of that Hollywood magic to Music City this season.

LaFleur has to date run a balanced offense between pass plays and rushes. Per Profootballfocus, he has run 366 rushing plays this season and 362 passing plays - as balanced as you can get. While not all of those rushing plays will have necessarily been called by him, with mobile quarterback Marcus Mariota able to break off a run if he can't find a good passing option, it does show some commitment to establishing the run for the team.

The red-zone plays are much the same- of the 117 plays in the red zone (the same number as the Pittsburgh Steelers) 46% were passes and 54% were rush plays. Henry has been a great goal-line back previously, and that has continued this season, scoring seven touchdowns this season in that area of the field.

Impact: The Titans have a balanced offense, make a decent number of red zone visits and Henry is a primary red zone weapon for them

 

Balance Of the Backfield

In the offseason, DeMarco Murray left the team and, finally, Henry was going to have the opportunity to run the backfield. Then the signing of Dion Lewis was announced days later.

Lewis had impressed in New England and the Titans looked like they would end up with a Running Back By Committee this season, but the exact split wasn't going to be known. A new coaching setup, combined with the new running back meant there wasn't much to go on, but the assumption was that Henry would be the early-down back with Lewis used as a change-of-pace option.

Looking at the rushing attempts from this season, its difficult to see a real trend- both players have had games where the game has gone their way, rather than the other back. Trying to split the backs on rushing attempts, therefore, is difficult, as the two backs have now actually had the exact same number of rushes as one another, and they have both had games where they have just fallen off and not had the majority of carries.

That being said Henry has had more attempts that Lewis in seven of the 13 games, and seems to have been given more consistent volume. His lows aren't as low as Lewis. However, recently it seems as though Henry is getting more carries than Lewis having had more rushes in the past three games.

Week 14 (Game 13 on the graph) shows that Henry was hugely productive, which is skewed by the 99-yard rush in the second quarter that he built his impressive game upon. Looking at the trend of the yards per carry, it's clear with this metric that Henry is the better running back, having only been outperformed by his teammate in just three games so far this season. Henry looks like his style of running certainly suits the system better, combined with his understanding of the strengths of the offensive line for the Titans.

That doesn't tell the whole picture though, as it takes out one of the most important parts of the modern game for a running back- catching the ball. That is where Henry struggles to make an impact, if the Titans start to lose in a game and need to try and get down the field then he can be scripted out of the game. To put it into context Henry has had 12 receptions this season, which Lewis has managed in his last three games, that is one thing that holds Henry back from having the same value as some of the better backs in the league. To put it simply, Henry can find himself on the sidelines if the game doesn't go the way of the Titans.

Impact: Henry is the more efficient ballcarrier and recently has had more carries than his teammate, but he can be scripted out of games.

 

Fantasy Output and Points Going Forwards

Based on the above data, the ability of Henry to be fantasy-relevant is based on two things:

  1. The opportunity of the Titans to win the game
  2. The ability of the opposition to stop the run

Henry has a matchup against the New York Giants this week, which isn't a bad matchup at all for him. The Titans are currently a three-point underdog with bookmakers, so it is certainly in the realm of possibility that they could sneak a win- the expectation is that they are at least going to be in the contest.

The Giants allow running backs an average of 97 yards and 0.8 rushing touchdowns per game so far this season, but truly that is on the increase since they traded away Damon Harrison to the Detroit Lions. In the six games they have played since the trade, they have conceded 131 yards and just over one rushing touchdown per game. So Henry should have plenty of opportunities to finish with decent numbers this upcoming week, even if he shares some of the load with Lewis.

To follow that game up the Titans play the Washington Redskins, which is again a winnable matchup for them- especially at home.

The Redskins have averaged 97 yards and 0.6 touchdowns per game to the position, and so again the Titans have another matchup that Henry can get a lot of points in.

Impact: Positive Matchups for Henry Coming Up

 

Conclusion

Overall, Henry is in a team with a good balance of passing and rushing plays. He is also the clear red-zone weapon for the team, as he has been in previous seasons with the type of runner that he is. Henry certainly has an opportunity to be fantasy relevant with the matchups that the Titans have for the remainder of the season.

One limiting factor is clear- he isn't involved in the passing game, so if that Titans struggle then he will find his opportunity on the field to be limited.

In conclusion, as a result, he should be considered to be a fringe RB2/ RB3 and comparable to players like Kenyan Drake, Josh Adams, Adrian Peterson, Gus Edwards, and Tevin Coleman. At least, given the above analysis that is where I would value him for the remaining two weeks of the season.

More Start/Sit Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

AJ Allmendinger21 mins ago

Scores First Top 10 of Season at Las Vegas
Kyle Larson22 mins ago

Leads The Most Laps, But Settles For A Top-10 Finish At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain36 mins ago

Obtains A Hard-Fought Top-Five Finish At Las Vegas
MacKenzie Gore44 mins ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Daniel Suarez48 mins ago

Scores Career-Best Finish At Las Vegas, But Falls Short Of Winning
Jack Leiter1 hour ago

Allows Two Runs Across Four Frames
Gleyber Torres1 hour ago

Returns To The Lineup Monday
Agustin Ramirez1 hour ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Brandon Nimmo1 hour ago

Will Start In The Outfield Monday
Zebby Matthews1 hour ago

Optioned To Triple-A
David Festa2 hours ago

Sent To Triple-A
Brandon Pfaadt2 hours ago

Strikes Out Seven In Spring Training Start
Kevin Alcántara2 hours ago

Kevin Alcantara Sent To Triple-A Iowa
Jace Jung2 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Chris Sale2 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Start For The Atlanta Braves
Cole Perfetti4 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Karel Vejmelka4 hours ago

Earns Victory On Sunday
Jordan Kyrou4 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins4 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers
Cale Makar4 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Dmitry Kulikov4 hours ago

Injured On Sunday
NASCAR7 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecks At Las Vegas But Shows Promising Speed
Alex Bowman7 hours ago

Recovers From Loose Wheel To Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric7 hours ago

Wins Stage 1, But Loose Wheel Foils Victory Bid
William Byron7 hours ago

Loses Las Vegas Race On Strategy But Expands Points Lead
Ryan Preece7 hours ago

Earns Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish At Las Vegas
Mookie Betts12 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins12 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase12 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski12 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun12 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon12 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray13 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić13 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post13 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry13 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.14 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White14 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey14 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.15 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.15 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant15 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith15 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton15 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin15 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins15 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez15 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner15 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma16 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam16 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard16 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo16 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh16 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis16 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins16 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold16 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews16 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin17 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson17 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad18 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil18 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich18 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech18 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman18 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter18 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish18 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt18 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.19 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar19 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Atlanta Falcons19 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons20 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers20 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
New York Jets23 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders23 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush23 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens1 day ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks1 day ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.1 day ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain1 day ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield1 day ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott1 day ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov1 day ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron1 day ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli1 day ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar1 day ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones1 day ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Jordan Mason2 days ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge2 days ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster2 days ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell2 days ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich2 days ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers2 days ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young6 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim6 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas6 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele6 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy6 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA6 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman6 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Kaleb Johnson - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: Best, Worst Picks In Rounds 1-4

You don't want to draft the below players, trust me. There are busts in every year's rookie class, and while some of them are tough to predict, others show clear signs that they aren't worth their capital. Many players have great fortune in college, playing on great teams that elevate their production and thus the […]


Matthew Golden - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 5 Rookies

Last year’s wide receiver class was one of the best in recent history, totaling three top-10 picks and seven prospects coming off the board in the first round. Many have called this year’s class a massive downgrade compared to last year’s unit. Yet, the 2025 wide receiver draft class has several impressive prospects. There might […]


Brenton Strange - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire, TE Streamers, NFL DFS

Winners and Losers of 2025 NFL Free Agency in Fantasy Football

NFL Free Agency has been quite the frenzy. At RotoBaller, we track it all for you right here! It might not always feel like it, but there have been a ton of impactful moves. And with every move comes a fantasy football impact, right? This article takes a look at some of the top winners […]


Jaylen Wright - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Breakouts: Running Back Sleepers For 2025

The running back position is in constant flux in Dynasty fantasy football, as depth charts are constantly shuffled around, teams often decide to move on from productive players and replace them with cheaper or younger options, and players have their first good seasons in their careers. We're mostly concerned with that last point -- RBs […]


Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]