Coming off one of the worst performances of his career, is it time for fantasy football managers to forget about Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry as a starter in lineups for the rest of the season?
And is rookie Tyjae Spears ready to be a starter in fantasy lineups? Here’s a look at the fantasy outlook for each player entering this weekend.
Should You Start Derrick Henry in Fantasy This Week?
For the first time in his NFL career, which consists of 116 games, Henry rushed for fewer than 10 yards in a game in which he had 10+ carries. In a loss to the Houston Texans, Henry finished with 16 carries for just nine yards. The loss also officially eliminated Tennessee from playoff contention.
Making matters worse for fantasy football managers, Henry caught four passes for only one receiving yard last week. This means in 20 touches, Henry gained a total of 10 yards vs. the Texans.
It was the second straight disappointing effort for Henry, who had just 34 rushing yards the previous week vs. the Miami Dolphins. That means over the last two weeks, Henry has rushed for 43 yards on 33 carries, an average of 1.3 yards per carry.
So, why should fantasy managers still consider starting Henry in their lineups?
For one, Henry has been the main man in the Titans’ offense all season. He’s accounted for 41.7% of the Titans’ touches, which is the third-highest percentage in the NFL this season.
In addition, Henry is 116 yards away from 1,000 for the season, a milestone that probably seemed easy to reach a few weeks ago, but now suddenly looks very uncertain.
Henry was a limited participant in practice Thursday, but it was not injury related (rest).
Should You Start Tyjae Spears in Fantasy This Week?
Spears has turned in a very productive season, especially when you consider he’s a backup to one of the premiere running backs in the league.
Even though his carries have been limited (82 on the season), Spears has been valuable catching passes out of the backfield. He has 40 receptions on the season, 13 more than Henry has.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
In 10 of 14 games this season, Spears has been on the field for at least 50% of the Titans’ offensive snaps. And in recent weeks, he’s seen his carries increase.
After totaling just 50 rush attempts in his first 11 games (4.5 per game), Spears has 32 carries over his last three games, an average of 10.7.
Spears is averaging 4.2 yards per carry and 81.0 scrimmage yards per game over his last three games. Thus, if you think Henry’s best moments are behind him this season, Spears is an option to consider.
Using Pro Football Network’s Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Henry is the player to start. His projected 12.2 points include 57 rushing yards and two receptions for 19 receiving yards and widely projects higher than Spears’ 7.8 points.
Spears is projected to finish with 34 rushing yards and one reception for 16 receiving yards. My ranking for these running backs aligns with the consensus.
Henry is the choice to start.
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