The Ravens have been considered Super Bowl contenders for the past couple of seasons, but the 2025 campaign is looking grim. They’re 1-4 with the only victory coming against Cleveland in Week 2.
It’s only gotten worse as Lamar Jackson suffered a hamstring injury against the Chiefs in Week 4. Cooper Rush took over at quarterback and started in Week 5’s 44-10 loss to the Texans. This, of course, impacted the offense drastically with the Ravens unable to score as effectively without their star quarterback.
It’s impossible to make up for Jackson’s absence, and it creates an even greater challenge for the rest of the team. Players like Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers have more responsibility while also receiving more attention from defenses.
Henry, who has been reliable throughout his career, is underperforming this season. Since rushing for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries against the Bills in Week 1, he’s ran for just 148 yards and two touchdowns on 46 carries in four weeks. Part of this is due to Jackson’s absence, but this is also an overall trend for his season.
Some of the problem could be due to a severely injured Baltimore defense. The Ravens have one of the worst defenses in the league this year, ranking last in points allowed and second to last in yards allowed. Both the pass and run units are struggling equally as much.
A poor defense rarely bodes well for running backs because passing is the quickest way to make up points. Henry has rushed the ball 11, 12, eight and 15 times in the four weeks following Week 1’s masterclass. His usage is down, and he’s not an active member of the pass game.
Not being a consistent pass catcher already hurts his fantasy value in PPR leagues. The value is drained even further when carries are limited because the trailing team shifts to a pass-heavy attack.
Henry is still an elite running back, but his fantasy value is contingent on him scoring touchdowns at this moment. Without Jackson, it’s hard to trust Henry in your fantasy lineups.