TreVeyon Henderson is cleared and expected to play against Pittsburgh, which is the good news. The complication is that he missed the opener entirely, Rhamondre Stevenson handled 23 opportunities in his absence, and nobody outside the New England building knows how much rope Henderson gets in his first game back. He is also walking into a Steelers defense that has been firm against the run. Find out whether you should start or sit TreVeyon Henderson in Week 2.

TreVeyon Henderson Start or Sit Advice for Week 2

The talent is not the question. Henderson has the kind of speed that turns a crease into a 50 yard play, and very few backs in the league can match that gear. He also catches the ball well enough to stay on the field in passing situations, and New England projected him for something close to 40 percent of the backfield work before the injury intervened. Josh McDaniels has shown he will ride whoever is producing, so a couple of explosive runs early could change the complexion of his afternoon in a hurry.

Stevenson’s opener is the obstacle. He took 18 carries and caught five of six targets for 95 total yards, and while 2.8 yards a carry is not a performance that locks down a job, 23 opportunities absolutely establishes one. Corey Kiner and Lan Larison combined for eight touches behind him, so this was Stevenson’s backfield by a wide margin. Stevenson is also the more reliable pass protector of the two, which is what keeps him on the field on third down while Henderson develops that part of his game. Asking a back to return from an injury and immediately take over a role someone else just filled is a lot to project.

Pittsburgh does not help. The Steelers held the Falcons to 120 rushing yards on 31 attempts, roughly 3.9 a carry, and did not allow a rushing touchdown. They also picked off two passes, recorded four sacks and held Cooper Rush to a 51.9 passer rating while conceding zero red zone targets. New England’s own offense had an ugly afternoon, with Drake Maye throwing three interceptions and the team averaging 3.5 yards a carry on 31 attempts. Losing A.J. Brown to a lengthy ankle absence takes another weapon out of a passing game that is already searching.

The Biggest Fantasy Risk for TreVeyon Henderson in Week 2

You do not know what you are getting. A back returning from injury in a split backfield is the hardest profile in fantasy to project, and New England has every reason to ease him in rather than hand him 15 touches in his first game back. The end zone chances are split between these two as well, so even a productive afternoon does not guarantee the score that would rescue his line. Add a Steelers front holding runners under four yards a clip and a New England offense that managed one touchdown while committing three turnovers, and the floor here is five carries for 20 yards and a quiet box score.

Fantasy Outlook for TreVeyon Henderson in Week 2

Henderson is a Start in Week 2, though only as a FLEX play in deeper formats and with your expectations tempered. The breakaway ability and pass-catching chops give him a ceiling almost nobody at his projected involvement can match, and if he looks healthy the work should grow week over week. Just understand that Stevenson enters as the back this staff leaned on and Pittsburgh is a poor setting for a debut. If you have a steadier option on your bench, use it and let Henderson prove his role first.

Find our Week 2 fantasy RB rankings here!