The start of the 2026 NFL regular season is approaching by the hour and last-minute fantasy drafts are going wild. On Wednesday night, the New England Patriots are set to take on the Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch at Lumen Field, meaning it’s time to get your fantasy football lineups set before kickoff.
One of the biggest stories surrounding the season-opening matchup is how the Patriots’ backfield will shake out – TreVeyon Henderson has shown league-breaking upside with his ability to break loose for the long touchdown, but he’s dealing with an ankle injury and his status is uncertain for game day. Can fantasy managers trust him, given the injury?
Can fantasy managers trust TreVeyon Henderson after his ankle injury?
TreVeyon Henderson was a popular pick in fantasy football last season after being selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Patriots. Despite finishing his rookie campaign with nearly 1,150 all-purpose yards, 35 catches and 10 total touchdowns, he was still a bit of a frustrating player to roster. He averaged 12.1 FPPG in PPR formats but saw a somewhat inconsistent workload while operating behind incumbent starter Rhamondre Stevenson when both were healthy.
Now, Henderson has been drafted decently high in 2026 thanks to his upside – he had three games of 28+ PPR points last year – but may not be on the field for Week 1’s matchup.
The second-year halfback injured an ankle back on in August and is still yet to return to regular practice. Prior to Monday’s session, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told the media that Henderson has “been working extremely hard to come back and we’ll see where that goes today.” However, he was officially a DNP on Monday following that statement, a significant marker given that New England’s first game is set for Wednesday night.
Given the context here, it’s best to assume that Henderson will not suit up for the season opener. Even if he did manage to play, though, it’s unlikely he’d take on a a major role. Reports from camp indicate that Stevenson is likely to remain the starting halfback when healthy, which isn’t shocking given his reliable talent as a runner between the tackles and on passing downs, especially as a blocker. The veteran played 59% of the Patriots’ snaps last year, and while he scored lower than Henderson in rushing share (36% to 24), he also missed three games due to injury while the younger back appeared in all 17 contests.
Of course, it’s a long season as well. Given the expectation for the Patriots to repeat a deep playoff run, ensuring their lightning-in-a-bottle runner gets healthy before taking the field makes plenty of sense. Don’t put him in Week 1 fantasy lineups since even if he winds up active for game day, a jump from two weeks of no practice to a major workload would likely be out of the question. Factor in a tough matchup against one of the NFL’s elite defensive units and the outlook becomes even shakier for Henderson in the immediate future.
Looking a little bit further ahead on the schedule, Henderson could certainly pay off an ADP of OVR60 and RB25 given his explosive ability. Just don’t count on him hitting home-run rushes from the jump once he gets back on the field since it may take a bit of time to get back to 100% – he remains an RB2 candidate with room for more once he does return.
