Rich Cooling advised managers to hold Derrick Henry rather than dumping him for the going rate of a mid-to-late second-round rookie pick. Cooling pointed out that a second has only a 10-15% chance of producing multiple top-24 seasons, whereas Henry is still the clear lead back in Baltimore and a strong favorite to deliver top-24 RB production in 2025. Because contending dynasty teams are better off banking Henry’s likely weekly RB1/RB2 output than converting him into a low-probability rookie lottery ticket, Cooling warned that selling now would actually shorten the championship window for win-now rosters built around aging stars.

Rich Cooling advised managers to hold Derrick Henry rather than dumping him for the going rate of a mid-to-late second-round rookie pick. Cooling pointed out that a second has only a 10-15% chance of producing multiple top-24 seasons, whereas Henry is still the clear lead back in Baltimore and a strong favorite to deliver top-24 RB production in 2025. Because contending dynasty teams are better off banking Henry’s likely weekly RB1/RB2 output than converting him into a low-probability rookie lottery ticket, Cooling warned that selling now would actually shorten the championship window for win-now rosters built around aging stars.

Ryan McDowell urged dynasty managers who are chasing a 2024 title to pivot from James Cook to Derrick Henry. He pointed out that Henry is going one slot after Cook in current startup ADP, yet brings a far sturdier production profile. McDowell walked listeners through Cook’s razor-thin margin for error—his 7.7% touchdown rate was almost double his 3.8% career norm and heavily inflated his 16.5 PPR points per game. Regressing Cook to his own average drops him to 13.5 PPR points, a tumble from RB11 to RB21. Given that Cook also lacks a new contract and still competes with Josh Allen at the goal line, McDowell prefers paying the same draft capital for Henry’s bankable short-yardage work and year-over-year volume. His advice: trade for Henry or select him over Cook whenever the choice presents itself.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound doubled down on Derrick Henry as a premium spike-week bet but clarified how to deploy him across Underdog formats. He conceded Henry is ‘very game-script dependent’—Baltimore pulls him on clear passing downs, which produced a six-point dud in Week 15 last year—and that lack of receiving work can crater advance rates in the Puppy. However, Pat noted Henry’s usage inside the 10-yard line remains elite (top-five in red-zone rush share since 2021) and the Ravens leaned on him for 20-plus touches in every neutral- or positive-script game down the stretch. Those traits make Henry a top-eight pick in the Weekly Winners lobby, where managers chase single-week ceilings rather than 14-week medians. Pat’s strategy is to accept Henry’s floor in large best-ball tournaments when he slides to the mid-second, but to prioritize him aggressively in one-week payout formats where a two-touchdown eruption can outright win the slate.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound told viewers there is no rational way to fade Derrick Henry at his current second-round ADP. Yes, the 30-year-old back is approaching the traditional running-back cliff, but Pat reminded listeners that age-based fades failed spectacularly last season when Henry shredded his 10.5 rushing-TD prop and posted three 24-plus-point outings down the stretch. Baltimore just handed Henry the backfield after giving him 340 touches in Tennessee, and Pat thinks playing next to Lamar Jackson will only juice efficiency because linebackers must account for Jackson’s keepers on every zone read. He called Henry’s 1,900-yard ceiling “completely in play,” labeling the click a ‘bro, big smash’ that he wants to reach 8-10 % exposure on despite popular mileage worries.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound said drafters should still keep roughly 5-6% Derrick Henry in their best-ball portfolio even though his ADP has slid to the 16-17 range in some rooms. He acknowledged Henry is now a part-time back, but emphasized that Baltimore’s run-first tendencies and frequent positive game scripts will mask the snap share concerns. Pat expects the Ravens to win "an easy 13 games," giving Henry plenty of fourth-quarter closer opportunities and touchdown equity. The modest exposure acts as a ‘safety blanket’ in case Henry’s role pops while avoiding over-investment if the timeshare caps his ceiling.

Andy Holloway said dynasty managers should keep Derrick Henry and even buy if the market is still nervous. Holloway pointed to Henry’s brand-new two-year contract that averages "more than 15-million a year" with 25-million fully guaranteed, noting that most running-back extensions are voidable after one season while this one is not. Henry just finished as the overall RB2 after cranking out 1,921 yards on another 300-carry workload, and Holloway reminded listeners that Henry is the only back in modern fantasy history to post back-to-back seasons over 1,500 rushing yards. Baltimore’s run-centric scheme and top-five offensive line give him the same carry funnel he enjoyed in Tennessee. Age and mileage are scary on paper, but Holloway argued Henry is "a one-of-one" outlier who has already broken every historical model. With two guaranteed seasons as the undisputed lead runner in a high-scoring offense, Henry profiles as a plug-and-play RB1 for contenders instead of a roster clogger you need to dump.

Kyle Long said Derrick Henry will deliver "another great year" in Baltimore even though he just turned 31, calling him "an anomaly" who breaks the usual running-back aging curve. Long pointed to Henry’s 2023 production—1,921 rushing yards (second in the league) and a league-best 16 touchdowns—as proof that defenders still struggle to tackle him, especially when defenses must also account for Lamar Jackson’s keepers. He expects offensive coordinator Todd Monken to add more wrinkles that will make the Henry/Jackson backfield "even more potent," and he framed the Ravens’ two-year, $30 million extension as evidence they plan to continue leaning on the run. Long’s bottom line: keep viewing Henry as a top-tier season-long and DFS play despite the mileage.

Pete Overzet said he is keeping his Derrick Henry exposure "pretty low" because the market is asking drafters to take a 30-year-old, two-down back at the 1-2 turn—right next to elite wide receivers, Brock Bowers and even Christian McCaffrey. Last summer Henry smashed when he slipped to the 3-4 turn, but Overzet noted this year’s price eliminates that margin for error and forces you to pass on premium receivers at the point of the draft where structural wide-receiver starts are strongest. He contrasted Henry with Saquon Barkley—who is younger and has a pass-catching profile—and said he prefers both Jonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey in the same neighborhood. In short, Henry’s age, lack of receiving work, and opportunity cost make him an easy underweight for Best Ball Mania portfolios.

Davis Mattek said he is actively scooping Derrick Henry in Underdog’s Eliminator contest even though he’s lighter on the veteran in traditional Best Ball Mania builds. The single-elimination, head-to-head format rewards weekly survival over full-season durability, and Mattek believes Henry’s 20-plus-carry, multi-touchdown upside is a perfect fit for that environment. "I don’t care if he falls off in November—if he gives me three monster weeks early, he’s done his job," Mattek explained. With Baltimore expected to lean on Henry at the goal line, Mattek projects several 25-point outings in the opening third of the schedule, exactly the spike weeks that flip close 127-to-126 projections into easy wins. He is therefore willing to click Henry in Round 2 of Eliminator drafts while still fading him at similar price tags in contests that require production through Week 17.

Buck called Derrick Henry “probably the worst pick in the first two rounds” on Underdog. Henry turns 31 this season, played under 60 % of Tennessee’s offensive snaps last year, and has never been a receiving threat (career-high 33 catches back in 2020). Buck doubts that volume rebounds after Henry’s move to Baltimore, noting the Ravens rotated Gus Edwards and Justice Hill on passing downs and like to keep their backs fresh for December. Without targets to pad weekly floors and with age-related decline looming, Buck advised fading Henry at his late-first/early-second ADP in Best Ball Mania drafts, preferring younger, more versatile backs or elite wideouts in that range.

Pat Kerrane explained why he is passing on Derrick Henry when the big back comes off the board in the late-first/early-second round. Henry is 31, earns almost zero receiving volume, and needs another historically efficient rushing season to pay off a pick that shares the pocket with elite wide receivers and the consensus TE1. Kerrane acknowledged Henry set a career-best rushing-efficiency mark last year but argued that betting on back-to-back outlier seasons from an aging, two-down runner is a losing proposition. If Henry smashes again, Kerrane is comfortable being underweight because opportunity cost is simply too high relative to the floor offered by premium WRs available in the same range.

Nez Badge Bros called Derrick Henry “the best Eliminator pick on the board” after locking him in at 2.03. Henry is set to handle Baltimore’s early-down and goal-line work, giving drafters bankable weekly touches that keep them alive in the one-on-one elimination format. Nez admitted age is a concern but noted Henry’s workload has yet to crater and the Ravens’ run-heavy tendencies should prop up his floor. Front-loading that kind of volume, Nez argued, affords the flexibility to chase higher-variance wide receivers in the middle rounds without sweating early exits.

Beimfohr said he is largely avoiding Derrick Henry on DraftKings because full-point PPR scoring magnifies Henry’s limited receiving role. With Lamar Jackson likely to vulture red-zone carries and the Ravens projecting as a committee in passing situations, Henry needs extreme rushing efficiency to justify his 1-2 turn price tag. Beimfohr prefers backs who can catch four-plus passes a game in DK’s scoring system and will be underweight Henry unless his ADP slides.

Jason Moore called Derrick Henry the "easy layup" pick in early drafts, sliding him one spot above consensus because Baltimore’s Super Bowl odds (tied for second behind Philadelphia) insulate Henry from the game‑script volatility that has historically tanked his fantasy output. Henry has averaged 22 half‑PPR points in wins versus 12.8 in losses throughout his career, yet the Ravens project for double‑digit victories. Moore highlighted Henry’s 347 opportunities, league‑leading seven ‘first touchdown’ games, and 325 carries from 2024 as proof the veteran still commands king‑size volume. While Moore concedes Henry’s limited receiving role caps his overall RB1 odds, he sees virtually no path outside the top‑5 if the Ravens meet win projections, recommending Henry as a safe Round‑1 cornerstone in season‑long and best‑ball formats.