Derrick Henry
vs Justin Jefferson

“Derrick Henry did almost all of his damage in the first half (11 carries, 51 yards, the touchdown) before falling off to just 5 carries for 17 yards after intermission as Baltimore’s offense stalled. He got 75% of his rushing yardage in the first half alone, before Baltimore’s offense went cold in the fourth quarter. Overall usage: 16 carries for 68 yards (1 TD), plus a true 4 targets/4 rec/28 yds once his penalty-erased catch is counted.”

“There is always concern about Henry’s red zone work being siphoned off by the legs of Lamar Jackson , and while the Ravens QB did have a rushing TD, Henry got plenty of work inside the 20, leading the league in rushing yards in the red zone this week. The consistency that Henry brings near paydirt should keep him as a regular on this list for most of the season.”

“The ageless Derrick Henry rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries Sunday, becoming the focal point for the offense after receivers Zay Flowers and Jakobi Lane left with injuries.”

“Ravens Ravens RB Derrick Henry is 10th all-time in rushing going into the 2026 season with 13,018 yards. A typical season would push him all the way to No. 6 on the list ( Curtis Martin , 14,101 yards), and a classic peak Henry season could propel him past Adrian Peterson at No. 5 (14,918 yards). Henry has had over 1,900 yards rushing twice in his career.”

“Derrick Henry is being overlooked as a major value again this year. Even in a “down year,” Henry still had 16 touchdowns on his way to an RB7 finish without a full season of Lamar Jackson and on a dysfunctional offense.”

“While Henry is no spring chicken, fantasy players should have no fear drafting him as a low-end RB1. He has played 17 games in three consecutive seasons. Furthermore, the future Hall of Famer has totaled at least 1,150 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in four consecutive years, finishing as a top-eight running back every season.”

“Much like fine wine, it just seems like Derrick Henry is getting better with age. However, only the 1972 Miami Dolphins and Father Time are undefeated. King Henry is coming off a career season in which he had 27 carries in the 5-yard line. There isn't anyone challenging him on the depth chart for touches, so the only concern in 2026 is age and the departure of center Tyler Linderbaum.”

“Derrick Henry is entering his late-career danger zone, and the depth behind him is paper-thin.”

“Every season fantasy managers wonder whether Derrick Henry is finally slowing down. Jake Ciely isn't buying it. His reasoning is simple. Henry's draft cost continues to fall even though his production hasn't. Ciely also pointed out that Henry's fantasy scoring remains remarkably consistent regardless of game script, making him one of the safest veteran running backs available. At his current ADP, he's comfortable betting on Henry one more time.”

“If Lamar Jackson can bounce back, Henry could inch back closer to his 2024 production (RB4 in fantasy points per game). He's at worst a low-end RB1 with top-five upside.”

“For all of his accolades as the league's most physical runner, Henry is a non-factor in Baltimore's passing game. With 20 or fewer receptions in eight of Henry's 10 NFL seasons, a sudden shift turning him into the next Christian McCaffrey or Jahmyr Gibbs is not envisioned.”

“Derrick Henry's 30.2 Sleeper ADP is a classic case of dynasty anxiety ruining redraft logic. Managers see his age and automatically assume a total collapse, completely ignoring the fact he ran for 1,500+ yards and 16 touchdowns last season. Henry remains the ultimate hammer in a Baltimore Ravens offense that completely sanitizes his negative game scripts. He retains a locked-in monopoly on goal-line touches and high-value red-zone opportunities.”

“Jefferson looked especially miserable last year while enduring the worst season of his career. With J.J. McCarthy completely overwhelmed as an NFL quarterback, Jefferson finished with 84 catches, 1,048 yards, and two touchdowns.”

“Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN) | ADP: 11.8 (WR6) While he has been a fantasy superstar since entering the NFL, Justin Jefferson is coming off a massively disappointing season.”

“Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN) Finishes Outside the Top 20 Wide Receivers The prediction: Jefferson, currently going as a top-six receiver, finishes this season outside the top 20 at his position. This is partly a skepticism play on his new starting quarterback’s fit in this specific offense, particularly real questions about accessing the middle of the field effectively. Even last year, on a per-route basis, Jefferson already graded as only a fringe top-15 to top-17 receiver in efficiency metrics, not a true elite option, once poor quarterback play is set aside.”

“Jefferson has been a fantasy superstar since he entered the NFL. Unfortunately, the veteran is coming off a massively disappointing season, finishing last year as the WR21, averaging 11.9 PPR fantasy points per game despite finishing seventh in the league with 141 targets.”

“With a better quarterback, Justin Jefferson is a top-five pick, but with J.J. McCarthy ‘s past poor play and the uncertainty of Kyler Murray , we get a discount on one of the best wide receivers in the league.”

“Last year, Jefferson was still sixth in target share (28.5%) and seventh in first-read share (35.1%), so we should all expect the Minnesota passing attack to run through their alpha wide receiver again in 2026.”

“Last year, Justin Jefferson had a horrible runout as the WR28 in fantasy points per game (WR14 in expected fantasy points per game). Obviously, a ton of his season was impacted by the level of quarterback play, but Jefferson also slid to 36th in separation score and 38th in route win rate (among 109 qualifying receivers, per Fantasy Points Data).”

“Justin Jefferson is the fifth-best wide receiver in the Madden universe, apparently”

“This wasn’t Jefferson’s fault, however. Among wide receivers with 50+ targets, Jefferson ranked 58th in catchable target rate (71%). J.J. McCarthy stunk, and all indications are that Kyler Murray is the clear favorite to be the starter in 2026, and possibly beyond.”

“Jefferson should immediately become Murray’s go-to receiver, making an overall WR1 finish well within reach.”

“The Ballers agree that if Kyler takes the leading QB role, they are confident that Jefferson will be back as a top-tier WR. However, they see him more as a back-end WR1.”