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It seems like almost a full season since we've seen Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry on the football field. The stud RB broke the fifth metatarsal in his foot on Nov. 2 and has been out since Week 8. The Titans offense just hasn't been the same without the All-Pro in their backfield.
Fantasy managers would love nothing more than to wake up and unwrap a healthy Henry just in time for the final push toward fantasy championships in Weeks 16 and 17. Many fantasy squads tumbled down the standings the minute they lost one of the most dominant forces in the NFL.
So now that the fantasy playoffs have begun in most leagues, will Derrick Henry return this season? If so, when is he expected back? Let's take a look for any rehab updates on King Henry.
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Will Derrick Henry Return This Season?
Derrick Henry's rehab is going well and fantasy managers should keep him stashed just in case, but it's unlikely that he'll be able to help the rest of the way unless your fantasy championship week comes in Week 18.
The good news for the Titans, who should make the playoffs unless something goes horribly wrong in these next three weeks, is that Henry should be back for the postseason. Tennessee's offense doesn't really scare anyone without Henry (and A.J. Brown) right now, but getting last year's leading rusher back would make the Titans a force to be reckoned with in January. And just to give you an idea of how good Henry actually is:
If Henry hadn't gone down with an injury earlier this year, he'd likely be the leading candidate for MVP in the NFL. Despite missing all this time, he's still the RB8 in fantasy scoring with 937 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on 219 carries. He also has 18 receptions for 154 yards.
How Has the Titans Backfield Fared Without Derrick Henry?
The Tennessee Titans initially looked to veteran Adrian Peterson as the savior with Derrick Henry breaking his foot. AP failed his three-game audition from Weeks 9-11, carrying 27 times for only 82 yards (3.04 yards per carry) and one touchdown. Since then, it's been a committee approach, with one man emerging:
Foreman handled a season-high 22 carries for 108 yards (4.91 yards per carry) against the porous Pittsburgh Steelers run defense in the Week 15 loss. He's seen double-digit carries in each of the three games since the Titans moved on from Peterson and has 100-plus rushing yards in two of those three contests.
Dontrell Hilliard has been the primary pass-catching change-of-pace back behind Foreman, and Jeremy McNichols also had nine touches for 51 scrimmage yards on Sunday. But it's clear that the Titans prefer Foreman as their primary early down back.
Foreman is no Derrick Henry, but with a strong offensive line, he can be effective as an RB2 for fantasy managers in the right matchups. Even with all the time Henry has missed in 2021, Tennessee has produced 142.3 rushing yards per game (fifth-best in the NFL) on the year. So until King Henry is back, keep running Foreman out there in fantasy lineups.
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