Derrick Henry Fantasy Outlook & Injury Update 2022 (Can King Henry Return to Form?)

Derrick Henry was on pace for another historic campaign in 2021 before disaster struck. A Jones fracture forced him to miss the regular season from Week 9 and beyond, derailing many fantasy managers' hopes in the process.

Fortunately, the Tennessee Titans' human bulldozer returned for the playoffs and all signs point to him being ready for the 2022 NFL season. However, should fans have any concerns about whether or not Henry can return to form this fall?

Derrick Henry Fantasy Football Outlook

Before his injury, Henry was the NFL's rushing leader across the board. He racked up 937 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 219 carries over eight games. In fact, that number of carries was the third most he's seen in a campaign.

If he stayed healthy, Henry was on pace to record 1,991 rushing yards and at least 21 touchdowns on the ground. Both of those totals would've been good enough to finish first overall in the NFL, highlighting just how dominant he can be.

Having said that, there's no telling how head coach Mike Vrabel plans to use Henry. While the veteran RB has been the focal point of the Titans' offense in recent years, clearly giving him 27-plus carries per game like last year might not be sustainable. Even if he sees fewer touches, though, Henry should still finish as one of the best RBs in fantasy.

Derrick Henry Injury Update

Even though Henry returned for Tennessee's postseason run, fans are still concerned about his health going forward. Jones fractures aren't a joke and the hope is that the injury won't prevent the former Alabama product from excelling.

Henry told reporters last month that his foot feels "good" and that he's "motivated" to prove his doubters wrong in 2022. Motivation can take already great athletes to new heights and even though there are health concerns, it looks like Henry is ready to fire on all cylinders this year.

Derrick Henry Projections

Projections from the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook are quite high on Henry. His +650 odds to be the NFL's 2022 rushing leader only trail division rival Jonathan Taylor (+400). Considering that Henry would've led the league in rushing yards for the third straight year had it not been for his injury, it's easy to like these odds.

Henry has the second-best odds (+600) to be the rushing TD leader. Additionally, FanDuel also has his projecting rushing yards total listed at 1,350.5 with -112 odds on both the over and under.

Henry is averaging 117.1 yards per game over the last three seasons. Assuming that trend continues in 2022, he'll only need to play about 11 or 12 games to hit the over.

Is Derrick Henry a Good Fantasy Football Pick?

Though his rushing style isn't sustainable forever, Henry is still a good fantasy football pick in the present. Few rushers can dominate the game as well as him and even though injuries might be a concern, you cannot let an opportunity to draft him pass you by.

Fantasy Pros lists Henry as the RB4 across PPR formats as of right now. He holds an average draft position of 4.7 as well. If you're able to land him, you may want to handcuff him with one of his backup RBs, Hassan Haskins and Dontrell Hillard.

If you drafted Henry with your first-round pick, then check out the best Derrick Henry fantasy football team names for your squad too.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.