Titans fans have awaited the news all week. Is Derrick Henry playing in the Divisional Round this weekend? What is his status, and what can fantasy football managers expect from him if he plays?
Is Derrick Henry playing today vs. the Bengals?
Titans fans, rejoice. Henry was activated on Friday evening and is officially back. Speaking to the media during the week, head coach Mike Vrabel stated that the running back had been back in contact drills and Tennessee would assess how he felt closer to Saturday’s game.
Henry has been out since he suffered a foot injury against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8. He was placed on injured reserve following that game.
Henry’s 2021 season
The Titans’ star RB finished 12th in rushing yards (937) and sixth in rushing touchdowns (10) among running backs despite playing less than half the season. His numbers are staggering. There isn’t a defense in the league that can consistently contain him. Of the eight games he played, Henry had 110+ yards in five of them.
Henry changes everything for the Titans when he’s on the field, and his contributions can’t be replicated. He may be the single most important offensive player to his team in the entire NFL. Tennessee went 6-2 while they had him on the field, which enable the club to have momentum through the remainder of the regular season.
The key was winning the AFC. The Titans wrapped it the conference title in Week 18 with a win over the Houston Texans and got themselves a first-round bye as a result. That bye allowed Henry an extra week to get healthy and return to the lineup before the Titans face win-or-go-home football in the playoffs.
Fantasy expectations for Henry
if you’re a hardcore fantasy football player, you might still be playing in best ball leagues or other formats. Do you start Henry on his first return to the lineup since Week 8? Would anybody listen to me if I said no?
If you’re lucky enough to be able to play Henry in the fantasy world, start him. He scored 192.30 points in standard leagues and finished 14th among running backs. He had three games of 30+ points, including a staggering 47.70 points in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Bengals’ defense did rank in the top five against the run in the regular season, but that isn’t enough to deter me from deploying Henry.