The Patriots are 7-2 and back atop the AFC East under second-year QB Drake Maye and new coach Mike Vrabel. They’ll face a tough test against the Buccaneers in Week 10, though, and to make things tougher they’ll be without Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) for a second straight week. In this post, we’ll look at the fantasy football outlooks for TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings, who teamed up to fill in for Stevenson last week.
Is either Patriots running back worth starting in season-long fantasy football leagues or in DFS contests on DraftKings? Let’s take a look at what we can learn from Week 9 and what to expect in Week 10.
TreVeyon Henderson fantasy football outlook
Without Stevenson, Henderson stepped into a primary role last week as the Patriots hosted the Falcons. He took 75% of snaps in Week 9 compared while Jennings played the other 25% of snaps. The rookie from Ohio State took a season-high 14 carries for 55 yards, posting solid gains on many attempts even though he never broke one for a huge gain. He also added four catches on six targets for 32 more yards, more than he had in any previous contest.
Henderson’s 87 total yards and heavy workload indicate he has the potential to be a great flex play with RB2 upside this week against Tampa Bay, but he did get his touchdown vultured by Jennings. What gives Henderson both a high ceiling and a high floor is that he has the potential to do so much work as a PPR producer out of the backfield. He is very solid at pass protection and route running and can make big plays if he gets the ball in space. The Patriots will try to scheme him open on the outside, which could lead to big plays for the rookie.
Terrell Jennings fantasy football outlook
On the other side of the timeshare, undrafted free agent Terrell Jennings got his first NFL touchdown on a short power run in the second quarter.
Jennings finished with 11 carries for 35 yards and added a nine-yard reception on his lone target. Jennings works as a nice complement to Henderson since he’s built more for between-the-tackles, grind-it-out running while Henderson is more of a home-run threat on the outside. Jennings could be the thunder to Henderson’s lightning, but he’ll be very touchdown-dependent since Henderson takes most of the receiving work.
The bottom line
Henderson and Jennings are both in a tough matchup in Week 10 against the Bucs, who have allowed only 71.25 rushing yards and 58.25 receiving yards per game to the position this season. They have allowed seven running back touchdowns in eight games and gave up big games to Jahmyr Gibbs and Christian McCaffrey before their bye week.
Henderson has RB2 upside and is at least a strong flex play, while Jennings can also be a deep-league sleeper if you count on him to get into the end zone. Of the two, Henderson is definitely the better option and can be started with confidence this week.
For one-week contests on DraftKings like the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st], Henderson is one of the best plays under $6,000, checking in at $5,600. He isn’t a huge bargain like he was last week, but if he gets into the end zone and continues his PPR involvement, he could be an elite mid-range value. Jennings is even cheaper at $4,900, but he’ll have to get a touchdown to be worth that salary. He’s worth mixing in as a flier if you need a bargain, but there are several options under $5,000 who could be in line for more work in Week 10, depending on other injury situations.
