3 reasons why Derrick Henry fantasy football hype is real

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Tennessee Titans running back, Derrick Henry.

KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 6: Running back Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans breaks free from the tackle attempt of free safety Ron Parker #38 of the Kansas City Chiefs on his way to scoring a fourth quarter touchdown during the AFC Wild Card Playoff Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 6, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images) /

Big workload

Derrick Henry will be the workhorse back on an offense that will use a run-first approach in 2019. Don’t believe me? Just look at what happened at the end of last season.

Henry was stuck in a timeshare with fellow back Dion Lewis through the first 12 games, but the Alabama product absolutely exploded when his workload was increased from Week 14 to 17.

Henry totaled 585 yards and seven touchdowns in the Titans’ last four games of 2018, and averaged nearly 22 carries per game in that span.

He was the No. 1 running back the last four weeks in PPR leagues, despite totaling three catches for 21 yards in those games, per Fantasy Pros. And he had room to spare, as Carolina Panthers back, Christian McCaffrey, finished in second with almost 17 points less than Henry in that span.

By comparison, Lewis averaged just five carries per contest during Henry’s eruption, which was inflated by a 10-carry game in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game the Titans won in blowout fashion. Lewis got zero carries in a do-or-die Week 17 game.

That was a sign of things to come, as the Titans will lean more on Henry and use Lewis less in 2019. Henry is far and away the better runner, as he averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his third season, while Lewis averaged just 3.3.

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