Any time a team is playing on a short week, there are always concerns over the health of the players for fantasy football managers. This week, one of the players that the concern revolves around is Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry. Let’s take a look at the latest injury update for Henry, whether he is expected to play in Week 9, and what it means for fantasy managers.
Latest Injury Update on Derrick Henry
The information surrounding Henry’s ankle injury was somewhat vague, given the Titans hadn’t actually practiced to begin the week. Both of their Week 9 practice reports have been estimations, with the team having a walkthrough instead of a full practice. However, Henry had been estimated as limited on both of the first two reports.
The fact that Henry was limited on those reports could be spun as both a positive and a negative. Ideally, you do not ever want to see a player of Henry’s caliber on the injury report unless it’s with a rest designation. However, the fact he was listed as a limited estimation on both days and not a non-participation suggests there was still hope for him to play on Thursday.
Henry was seen out on the field Tuesday as the Titans’ players did some individual drills in preparation for the week ahead, and didn’t look like he was struggling. Henry was also interviewed in the locker room ahead of practice and didn’t seem overly concerned about any ankle issues.
On Wednesday, Henry was a full participant in practice and cleared from the Titans’ injury report. This was always the outcome that we hoped to see for the veteran RB.
Will Henry Play This Week?
It now very much seems as though the plan is for Henry to be on the field with the team when they face the Steelers in Week 9.
It appears as though this was just a precautionary situation with the Titans, and it was no major surprise to see Henry as a full participant come Wednesday.
MORE: Fantasy Football IR Week 9 Injury Report
We always have to be aware of any downgrade in status, as that’s usually a concerning sign for any player, let alone a starting RB with quite a few miles on the clock. However, even if Henry is a full participant, it’s unlikely the Titans went hard at practice on Wednesday with only one day before their game against Pittsburgh.
It would be a shock right now if Henry isn’t available when the Titans take to the field on Thursday night.
Fantasy Implications if Henry Is Out
Purely from the Titans’ point of view, any absence for Henry would likely elevate Tyjae Spears into a full role against the Steelers. Spears is second on the team with 34 carries that he’s turned into 198 yards and a touchdown. He has featured more in the passing game with 24 targets, 18 receptions, and 120 yards.
If Henry is out, we would likely see the Titans elevate Jonathan Ward from the practice squad to backup Spears. It feels like if there was a serious threat of Henry missing the game, we might have seen the Titans check out some other options to add to the roster this week.
The beauty of this game being on a Thursday is that if Henry is out, there are plenty of options to which you can pivot. Most fantasy managers will have a couple of bench options they could plug into their lineup if need be. If not, the waiver wire will still have plenty of players that can be added and started ahead of Sunday.
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