Should fantasy managers worry about Titans' Derrick Henry in 2021?
Yahoo Sports' Andy Behrens explains why the Tennessee running back is someone you shouldn't be concerned about this season.
Video Transcript
ANDY BEHRENS: A lot of folks telling you to worry about Derrick Henry in 2021 because of last year's workload-- and the previous year's workload. OK, he's led the NFL in total carries in back-to-back seasons, has over 700 total touches over the last two years. But by the way, he's won the rushing crown in each of the last two years while averaging over 5 yards per carry-- well over 100 rushing yards per game, just became the eighth man in the history of the league to rush for over 2,000 yards.
He is verifiably great. He's only 27 years old. He never misses games. Only in the panicky world of fantasy analysis would anyone try to convince you that his achievements of the past two years are actually bad. I don't think so. Listen, if you're out on Henry in the year ahead, let's just make sure that it's because you're fading the position generally.
Maybe you're dabbling in zero RB for the first time in your fantasy life, and not because you are fading Henry specifically, because I am here to tell you that that would be a huge mistake. This guy exited last season fully healthy. He then spent the offseason producing these impossible workout videos, right? Like, he's OK right now.
Only 27 years old-- is he a high mileage player? Sure, but if we want to extend this weird vehicle analogy, then you also have to acknowledge that he has a spotless maintenance record. There is nothing wrong with Derrick Henry right now. If he injures his ankle in October, it's not going to be because he had over 30 carries against the Texans last December.
He's fine right now. You want to ding him in your ranks a little bit because he never catches passes-- he's never caught more than 19 balls in any NFL season-- that's fine. I get it. But there is no fantasy format in which Derrick Henry should fall outside the top-five running backs.
