Who is the No. 1 Overall Pick for 2023 Fantasy Football? Making The Case for Derrick Henry

Going into the 2022 season, fantasy managers were hesitant to select Derrick Henry with a top selection due to his return from a Lisfranc injury that knocked him out for the final 10 weeks of 2021 until the Titans’ playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Henry started the season slow to his standards with 34 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown through two games, but quickly picked the pace up and did not disappoint for those who selected the star running back. 

Is Derrick Henry in consideration to be selected first overall in 2023 fantasy drafts, or should managers wait until later on to select him?

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How Did Derrick Henry Perform in Fantasy Football This Season?

After his slow start to the season, Henry strung together 143 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The supertar was rarely slowed down after that, ending the season with 349 carries for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns. He added 33 receptions for 398 yards through the air, and even threw a passing touchdown.

Henry finished second in the league in rushing yards behind fellow Alabama product Josh Jacobs. While the Tennessee Titans had a disappointing season, Henry remained the identity of the offense. Tennessee turned to him all season long and he averaged nearly 27 touches per game.

Is Derrick Henry The No. 1 Pick For 2023 Fantasy Football?

With the Titans’ end-of-season crumble, the imminent future of the organization is up in the air. They are currently searching for a new general manager and offensive coordinator, and more changes could be made.

Derrick Henry turned 29 years old earlier in January, which is beyond the typical decline in running back production. We all know that Derrick Henry is not your typical running back and he showed no signs of slowing down this year despite last season’s Lisfranc injury.

There is bound to be plenty of discussion as to who 2023’s top fantasy pick will be throughout the offseason, and Henry has done nothing to fall out of that conversation. 

Recent data shows that running backs who surpass 350 touches in a season typically have an injury-riddled campaign in the following season. We saw this from Henry in 2021 after his nuclear 2020 season.

While we need to wait to see what the environment around Henry in Tennessee will be for 2023 before declaring him a candidate to be drafted first overall, his incredibly high usage does not indicate a healthy 2023 campaign for the superstar running back.

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