Want to know just how important RB Derrick Henry is to the Titans offense moving the ball anywhere? One stat from the 2022 season will probably surprise you. Despite being widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best pure runners in the NFL, Henry was forced to show off his chops in the receiving game last year during a rough season for the Tennessee offense.
That amounted to Derrick Henry LEADING THE LEAGUE in yards per reception among 30 RBs with 35+ targets on the year. His 12.1 yards per reception was more than a full 2 yards higher than the next player on the list (Tony Pollard, 9.5 yds/reception). That production in the receiving game came on top of 1500+ yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground!
Henry continues to spit in the face of Father Time heading into 2023, but at some point, even the King must fall. Whether that happens this year remains to be seen, but fantasy managers should not expect passing game efficiency or volume of that nature to continue moving forward. The addition of DeAndre Hopkins and Tyjae Spears should return Henry to his regularly scheduled programming of bulldozing linebackers and road-grading defensive backs in the run game, while capping his receiving volume to relatively insignificant levels.