Few teams are in more dire straits than the Ravens. At 1-4, Baltimore has fallen well short of preseason Super Bowl aspirations. To make matters worse, star quarterback Lamar Jackson has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. Add it all up, and the vibes are abysmal in Charm City right now.
A stagnant offense has impacted every fantasy-relevant Ravens player, including Derrick Henry. Following a terrific debut season in Baltimore, he only ranks as the RB23 in PPR leagues this season
As bad as things are now, opportunistic fantasy managers should be licking their chops. Any chance to acquire a first-round talent needs to be taken seriously. Even if Henry doesn’t live up to his lofty draft-day expectations, he can still be had at a discount. What should you be willing to trade for this future Hall of Famer before Week 6?
Should you trade for Derrick Henry?
The production for Henry so far has been mediocre, to put it lightly. Through four games, he’s gained 317 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Take away a dominant Week 1 vs. Buffalo (169 yards, 2 TD), and those numbers look far worse. That represents a stark contrast compared to Henry’s monster 2024 campaign. Through 17 games, he accumulated 2,114 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns.
Still, this is Derrick Henry, destroyer of opposing fantasy teams. I don’t think these recent struggles, even at 31 years old, are a result of diminishing skills. The Pro Bowler’s 5.0 yards per carry would rank as the fourth-best mark of his ten-year career. However, he’s only averaging 12.8 rush attempts per game, a steep drop-off from his 19.1 last season. Three fumbles have been an early talking point, but I’d expect the veteran’s ball control to stabilize going forward.
It’s the team surrounding Henry that has fallen apart. Ultimately, the biggest road block in making this trade is belief in the Ravens. Backup QB Cooper Rush will likely get one more start on Sunday against a contending Rams squad. Then Baltimore will enter its bye week, likely at 1-5.
Still, there’s a good chance Lamar Jackson makes his return just in time for the season’s stretch run. There’s at least four easily winnable games against the Jets, Browns, Dolphins and Joe Burrow-less Bengals. That alone should be enough to keep the Ravens in contention through the fantasy football postseason. More importantly, Baltimore should opt for a run-heavy approach if they lead by multiple scores late.
As we’ve seen before, it only takes one monster game for Henry to bounce back. The same is true of the Ravens, who are simply too good (even at less than 100%) to continue losing games. Shipping away an over-performing wide receiver, or a surprising young running back, could be a prudent move. That’s especially true of clubs that are 3-2 or better. After Baltimore’s bye, the team will play against subpar run defenses in Chicago and Miami.
We’re at the point in the season where cellar-dwelling fantasy football clubs will start to become desperate. Disappointed managers are sure to give Henry a large share of blame for their lackluster record. That makes this the perfect time to acquire a potential difference-maker. Don’t hesitate to swing a trade for King Henry before the start of Sunday’s games.
