Career Contextualization
Derrick Henry showed his mortality in 2021. The mileage put on Henry the last few seasons finally caught up with him, as he missed nine games after suffering a foot injury.
Before last season, the only question you had to ask about Henry was whether he could stay healthy. You knew he was the engine that ran Tennessee’s offense. You knew he’d get a ton of touches. And you knew he’d only get better as the game went on and his opponents wore down.
But after this season, there are more questions than ever about Henry, especially in dynasty formats. He’s 28-years-old and has logged almost 1,500 touches in his six professional seasons. So it’s fair to wonder whether now is the time to say goodbye.
Current Situation
The Tennessee offense still starts with King Henry. Ryan Tannehill is solid enough at quarterback, but this isn’t going to become a high-flying passing attack anytime soon. And the offensive line remains rock solid.
Career Contextualization
Derrick Henry showed his mortality in 2021. The mileage put on Henry the last few seasons finally caught up with him, as he missed nine games after suffering a foot injury.
Before last season, the only question you had to ask about Henry was whether he could stay healthy. You knew he was the engine that ran Tennessee’s offense. You knew he’d get a ton of touches. And you knew he’d only get better as the game went on and his opponents wore down.
But after this season, there are more questions than ever about Henry, especially in dynasty formats. He’s 28-years-old and has logged almost 1,500 touches in his six professional seasons. So it’s fair to wonder whether now is the time to say goodbye.
Current Situation
The Tennessee offense still starts with King Henry. Ryan Tannehill is solid enough at quarterback, but this isn’t going to become a high-flying passing attack anytime soon. And the offensive line remains rock solid.
The biggest question regarding Henry’s situation is whether Tennessee will lighten his workload after he missed time in 2021. The good news is Tennessee doesn’t have a proven guy behind him, as Dontrell Hilliard, Jordan Wilkins and Trenton Cannon fill out the depth chart. But that might not matter, as the Titans may start taking a more prudent approach with their bell cow back.
Even a slight reduction in touches would hurt Henry’s fantasy value. Part of his charm has always been that he was a lock to get at least 20 carries when the game script was in Tennessee’s favor.
General Prediction for 2022 and Rest of Career
One of the keys to success in a dynasty league is knowing when to sell high. This might be your last chance to get a good haul for Henry. As dominant as he’s been, he’s an aging running back coming off a significant injury. If we were talking about anyone other than Henry, there would be panicked screams to sell him immediately. But Henry gets a little more slack from the fantasy community because of what he’s done.
I remember feeling sad when I got rid of my 2001 Acura TL, my first car and probably always my favorite car. But that car also had more than 150,000 miles on it. At that point, I knew I had gotten the very most out of it. That’s also how I feel about Henry. So sell now, as the cliff is coming.
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