King Henry: A Must-Have Fantasy Football Running Back In 2024
Make way for the king!
After spending eight years in Tennessee, Derrick Henry has a new home. He signed a two-year, 16 million-dollar deal with the Baltimore Ravens and will undoubtedly be their lead running back. He goes from an average-at-best team to a team with serious Superbowl potential. The Ravens will run, run, and then run some more. King Henry will be an elite RB1 yet again, but instead of being found in round one, he can be taken at the turn of round two/three. This is amazing value and a perfect time to capitalize on the discount. Here’s why:
Derrick Henry Is Still King Henry
Aside from his first two seasons in the league, Derrick Henry has been the definition of consistent. Since 2018, he has had six straight seasons with double-digit touchdowns, six straight top-24 running back seasons, and almost six straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons (Limited to eight games and 937 rushing yards in 2021). He is also one of eight players in NFL history to top 2,000 rushing yards in a season.
Henry’s age and “mileage” are probably the biggest concerns fantasy managers have with him. He is a 30-year-old running back who has seen a lot of work in his NFL career. Running backs historically decline when they hit their 30s and even though Henry is a freak of nature, father-time is undefeated. His time will come in the next few years, but not this season. Last season showed us that he still has some juice left and can be a startable fantasy football running back.
Derrick Henry would finish as the RB8 in a bad Titans offense that was 27th in points scored and 28th in total yards. He still managed to put up 1,167 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns
(Both are good for 6th in the league). While he was not incredibly efficient, his 4.2 yards per carry is more than adequate. He still showed the same tackle-breaking ability with 930 yards after contact (2nd most in the league). If Derrick Henry can put up numbers like that in a poor offense, imagine what he can do in a top-tier offense.
The Ravens Are An Elite Team
A good rule of thumb in fantasy football is to select good players on good teams. Those are the types of players who not only have the talent but also have talent around them making it easier to move down the field and score touchdowns as a whole. Derrick Henry is now a good player on a good team. The 2023 Ravens were phenomenal and loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, led by MVP Lamar Jackson. Last season, they were:
-4th in points scored (483)
-1st in points allowed (280)
-PFF’s #3 overall team (5th on offense, 3rd on defense)
The Raven’s lead back last season was Gus Edwards, who is now with the Chargers. Edwards had 810 rushing yards with 13 rushing touchdowns, good for fifth most in the league. He would end the season as the RB25 in PPR leagues. He is an average player at best, who was a weekly flex start because of the scoring opportunities alone. Even at 30, Derrick Henry is far more talented and can easily surpass those numbers.
The Ravens will run the ball like last year, which is good news for Derrick Henry. He is used to getting a lot of carries, but this season will be a little different. The Ravens have a few players that NFL defenses need to gameplan for. Lamar and Mark Andrews are still a lethal duo and Zay Flowers has the speed and quickness to turn any play into a touchdown. The multiple offensive stars will open up and improve all aspects of the Ravens’ offense. Derrick Henry will benefit from the offensive star power.
Derrick Henry Is A High Floor/High Ceiling Pick
The Derrick Henry and Baltimore Ravens combo is a match made in heaven. Henry gets to play in a great offense with plenty of goal-line opportunities, and the Ravens get a reliable, bruising running back who can take pressure off of Lamar Jackson. Barring injury, Derrick Henry has a great chance to finish as a top-five fantasy running back. Even if he shows signs of decline, being a part of a good offense and having a steady amount of volume gives him a higher floor than most running backs selected at the end of round two/beginning of round three range, and his ceiling is also high with the scoring potential. Don’t think twice and draft him at his RB9 ADP.
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