Darrell Henderson suffered a knee injury during a Week 16 tilt against Minnesota. What is the fallout of that injury? What is Henderson’s status for Week 17 against the Ravens, and will he be available for those all-important fantasy football lineups?
Will Darrell Henderson play today vs. the Ravens despite a knee injury?
Henderson had an MRI following a knee injury on his only carry of the game against the Vikings last week, and unfortunately, received bad news. He’s thought to have damaged his MCL and will miss at least the rest of the regular season. Whether he’s able to return for some of the playoffs is not clear and will largely depend on how far the Rams are able to go.
However, just as they lose Henderson, Cam Akers is now returning. Akers suffered a torn Achilles back in July, which resulted in Henderson’s increased workload. Fast forward several months, and the two are rotating once again. Of course, the Rams went out and traded for Sony Michel too, who has taken over a large number of carries in recent weeks and been excellent the last four games.
How has Henderson performed in the absence of Cam Akers?
There was a mountain of speculation when the Rams lost Akers as to whether Henderson could step into the role and perform at a high level. He shared snaps with Malcolm Brown in 2020, with both behind Akers as the primary starter. Henderson actually led the team with a 4.5 yards-per-attempt average, edging past Akers’ 4.4.
In 2021, Henderson has 5 touchdowns, matching his total from 2020. He’s contributed 688 yards on the ground, and while it might not show on the stat sheet, he’s also one of the better pass-blocking backs.
All in all, Henderson has done a good job standing in for Akers. But amidst injury issues, Henderson has lost out on the majority of snaps to Michel in recent weeks.
Who will take the snaps for the Rams today vs. the Ravens?
Akers should be active for the first time this season in Week 17. He was activated from injured reserve and is back practicing with the team. QB Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay have both commented on the work ethic and drive that Akers has shown, resulting in what’s been described as a “miraculous” recovery.
Even if Akers is dressed and active on Sunday, though, I’d expect a snap share with Michel. I very much doubt he’ll come straight back in as RB1 and take the lion’s share of snaps, especially as Michel has done such a great job in recent weeks. McVay has directly said they will be “cautious” with Akers’ return.
Without Henderson, should you start Akers in fantasy football
Starting Akers is risky, especially as these are the last rounds of fantasy football seasons. He is way too much of an enigma at this point in the year, and we have no idea how much of him we might see — if he does indeed play.
Maybe you start Michel if you have him? But does the return of Akers warn you off of making that choice? Does Michel lose carries? These are the decisions that win and lose championships, so good luck to all of those setting their lineups for the final time in 2021. Choose wisely!