With Derrick Henry part of the mass running back free agency, the Tennessee Titans icon lovingly called “King Henry” has landed at the Baltimore Ravens, perhaps the best fit for his skill set. The Ravens are a hard team that looks to establish the run game, and Henry looks set to spearhead their charge in 2024 as Baltimore looks to go further than the AFC Championship game this time.
Henry is the NFL’s premier power back, and the league’s new ban on hip-drop tackles has resulted in some hyperbole (and great memes) about what this could mean for the Ravens RB. Let’s leave that conversation for another date and focus on whether Derrick Henry can replicate his Titans form in Baltimore. Put simply, yes he can.
The Ravens will utilize Lamar Jackson in the running game, but Henry is still an early-down and short-yardage back who wears defenses down. Baltimore doesn’t exactly air the ball out as regularly as some would like, and paying Henry $16 million over two years indicates that they are going to use him heavily.
With that in mind, Derrick Henry will likely be either a late first-round pick or an early second in fantasy drafts. While he is aging for his position (30) and isn’t involved much in the passing game, he’s going to get a lot of the ball in a team that will be looking to grind opponents into the dirt.
Don’t take him early on in the first round because the earliest picks should be the top WRs, as the point differential between the top receivers and WR2s is greater than it is with RBs (except Christian McCaffrey, consensus No. 1 this year and maybe TE1 Travis Kelce). If you can get Henry in the mid-second that would be ideal, but given the hype around his move to Baltimore, the tail end of the first seems the likeliest spot he will go.
There are potentially better RBs to target than Derrick Henry in 2024, with Henry being behind the likes of McCaffrey, Josh Jacobs and Travis Etienne for starters.
Derrick Henry’s 2024 NFL fantasy outlook: What numbers to expect from the Ravens RB?
The overlying worry with Derrick Henry is his advancing age in running back years and concerns that he might be slowing down or more susceptible to injuries. Realistically, that shouldn’t be a concern, although the Ravens have had terrible luck with keeping their RBs healthy in recent years.
Given Henry’s early downs and short-yardage expertise, expect some big numbers in 2024. Last season, Derrick Henry rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 TDs, as well as throwing for 2 TDs. Christian McCaffrey is the top RB in fantasy football, and while receiving backs have higher ceilings, Henry should have a very dependable floor.
Henry has seen his numbers dip from his incredible 2,000-yard season in 2020 (understandably so) but managed to go for 1,538 yards in 2022. Realistically, 1,250 yards and 14 TDs seems a reasonable benchmark, and Henry would be great value if you can get him in the second round.