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RB Darrell Henderson, LAR (2 Viewers)

Fantasy Reaction: Three rapid takeaways from Cam Akers' season-ending injury

Excerpt:

HENDERSON IMMEDIATELY BECOMES A LOW-END RB2 AT WORST

Some in the industry seem to already be anointing Henderson to a higher plane than Akers. While possible, I’m not as convinced that Henderson has the passing-game chops to never leave the field. I wrote the following about this backfield last week in my league-wide handcuff breakdown:

“It’s certainly possible the Rams utilize a two-back committee of sorts between Akers and Henderson. Still, Akers’ late-season usage makes him the favorite to see the sort of every-down rolethat made Gurley a fantasy superstar during the 2017-2018 seasons. Despite carrying third-round draft capital, Henderson has handled 50% of the offense’s snaps in just two of his 28 career games. I’m still a fan of Henderson at his value because it seems likely that he would get the chance to work on all three downs in the event Akers is injured; the only reason he’s not in the previous tier is that we haven’t seen Sean McVay afford him this sort of role just yet.”

Akers didn't play more than 33% of the offense's snaps in a game until Week 13 last season. During that span, Henderson functioned as the PPR RB29, while Malcolm Brown (now on the Miami Dolphins) was the RB35. Combining their fantasy points would have produced the RB4, which is the ceiling at hand. Still, realize that we never saw McVay hand over this backfield to Henderson in the same manner in which he did for Akers.

Don’t get it twisted: Henderson is PFF’s reigning 15th-highest-graded rusher and racked up a robust 20 runs of 10-plus yards last season. He produced RB11, RB11 and RB6 finishes by Week 5 last season — legit RB1 upside. Still, it’s at least somewhat concerning that he wasn’t able to parlay this production into a more featured role when Brown and Akers were his only competition.

At the moment, I’ve slotted in Henderson as my RB20. This is ahead of J.K. Dobbins, Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders and Kareem Hunt, among others, thanks to the likelihood that Henderson functions as the fairly undisputed lead ball carrier in this offense all season. However, I’d still take players like Chris Carson, D’Andre Swift, Travis Etienne and David Montgomery ahead of Henderson due to their potential to lead their respective backfields in both carries and targets.

The problem is that as much as we want to simply project Henderson’s 2021 season already based on who is on the roster, roster moves are on the horizon.
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DARRELL HENDERSON RB, LOS ANGELES RAMS

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Rams "don't have any immediate plans to pursue a free agent running back."

Schefter noted that the Rams like what they have with Henderson and Xavier Jones, a UDFA the team signed last year. Henderson was a dominant runner in college, hitting 1,909 yards in his junior season. He also averaged over 20 receptions per year in his three outings at Memphis. A former third-round selection, Henderson has the pedigree and potential role to flirt with RB1 numbers if the Rams don't sign a notable veteran. Jones is a powerful runner who found the end zone 23 times during his senior season at SMU and could be in the mix for work on early downs. The Rams also selected Maryland's Jake Funk in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Funk never topped 60 carries in a single collegiate season and should be expected to start his pro career as a special teams player.

RELATED: 

Jake Funk

, Xavier Jones

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Jul 20, 2021, 12:43 PM ET
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DARRELL HENDERSON RB, LOS ANGELES RAMS

Speaking Tuesday following the news that Cam Akers has suffered a season-ending torn Achilles' tendon, Rams coach Sean McVay said the team is not currently looking to sign a veteran running back. 

RELATED: 

Cam Akers

, Adrian Peterson

SOURCE: Jourdan Rodrigue on Twitter 

Jul 20, 2021, 2:44 PM ET
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Speaking Tuesday following the news that Cam Akers has suffered a season-ending torn Achilles' tendon, Rams coach Sean McVay said the team is not currently looking to sign a veteran running back. 

"I don't know that veteran route is something we'll rule out, but it's not something we're looking at right now," was McVay's exact quote. This, of course, can hardly be taken as gospel that the Rams won't add a veteran back, but it's not surprising they are going the in-house route for now. The Rams have seemed skeptical that Darrell Henderson can operate as a true starting back, but he rebounded splendidly in 2020 from his forgettable rookie campaign. He is capable of making plays on all three downs. Behind Henderson, the Rams have Raymond Calais and seventh-round rookie Jake Funk. In other words, not exactly the cavalry. McVay could quickly decide he needs a veteran complement. Don't count on it being Todd Gurley. That ship long ago sailed. Adrian Peterson will almost certainly at least generate some internal discussion in Los Angeles.

- Jourdan Rodrigue, Twitter
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I underline that part because I can see Adrian Peterson fitting well with the team if Jones isn't great in pass pro/can't pickup the playbook fast enough. Of course, AP's pass protection issues are known also.

 
Desert_Power said:
Love that I got this guy off a waivers in dynasty early last year somehow :thumbup:
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Same. Oddly I nearly dropped him this morning for another player but hesitated. Read the news a little later and was relieved I held on. I don’t expect him to turn into a top 10 back but if healthy he will be useful.

 
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Glad I already have him on several teams.

Based on the blurbs Faust has been posting I am not sure I will be able to draft him now if thats the price and who knows maybe Henderson is a sell now.

 
Biabreakable said:
Glad I already have him on several teams.

Based on the blurbs Faust has been posting I am not sure I will be able to draft him now if thats the price and who knows maybe Henderson is a sell now.
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Agree. I approached the Akers owner in dynasty but he wasn’t interested. I would take any future first for sure or a decent receiver. I like his talent but I think this ends up being a committee and they limit his usage based on his penchant for getting banged up.

 
Henderson was going to get boku volume anyways, it's a 17 game schedule. Henderson was going to get respectable numbers regardless if Akers played or not.

Now he's the #1 RB in a potent offense with a HC hellbent on running the football.

If he stays healthy, Henderson is a low-end #1 RB at worst. He outperformed Akers last season , more production with the same carries. he's a stud in the making. Glad I kept him my dynasty league. he's going to feast. 

 
Tanner9919 said:
Henderson was going to get boku volume anyways, it's a 17 game schedule. Henderson was going to get respectable numbers regardless if Akers played or not.

Now he's the #1 RB in a potent offense with a HC hellbent on running the football.

If he stays healthy, Henderson is a low-end #1 RB at worst. He outperformed Akers last season , more production with the same carries. he's a stud in the making. Glad I kept him my dynasty league. he's going to feast. 
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That's about as optimistic a take as I've seen. I have Henderson in a couple of dynasty leagues so I'll be rooting for this to happen. 

 
People are all over the place on early rankings. Late second to mid seventh. Won’t be involved in the passing game and doesn’t really have the physique to take on the load intended for Akers. Good player but limited upside IMO.

 
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Dr. Octopus said:
Is this because of his pass blocking, because his game seems like it would translate well into the passing game.
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Found this: 

According to Pro Football Focus, Malcolm Brown led all Rams running backs last season with 67 pass-blocking snaps.

Behind him, Darrell Henderson had 24 reps in pass protection and graded very well with an 83.5 grade.

In last place with only 13 reps in pass protection was Cam Akers.

Gurley was a force in the passing game, right? Not sure why the offensive Genius went away from it last year. I would think Henderson would be akin to Swift if they showed some commitment. But they’d rather utilize their wide receivers.

Stafford has had great success using RBs (Theo & D’Andre), as well as TEs. Maybe they’ll tweak to fit what Matthew is comfortable with but I haven’t seen any coaches comments indicating that. I think they’re excited to have a QB who can push the vertical routes better than Goff the last two years.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see what we hear in TC & PS. 

 
Watch the catch at the 1:30 mark of this video they show a few different angles of it so you can see the play well. Henderson is able to blow past the defensive back and gets open deep, he is able to turn and face the ball and make the catch even though the throw is a bit high. I have seen Henderson make plays like this many times. He is a gifted receiver.

In college Henderson averaged 12 yards per reception. He can do more than just catch screens and flare passes.

 
BobbyLayne said:
Found this: 

According to Pro Football Focus, Malcolm Brown led all Rams running backs last season with 67 pass-blocking snaps.

Behind him, Darrell Henderson had 24 reps in pass protection and graded very well with an 83.5 grade.

In last place with only 13 reps in pass protection was Cam Akers.

Gurley was a force in the passing game, right? Not sure why the offensive Genius went away from it last year. I would think Henderson would be akin to Swift if they showed some commitment. But they’d rather utilize their wide receivers.

Stafford has had great success using RBs (Theo & D’Andre), as well as TEs. Maybe they’ll tweak to fit what Matthew is comfortable with but I haven’t seen any coaches comments indicating that. I think they’re excited to have a QB who can push the vertical routes better than Goff the last two years.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see what we hear in TC & PS. 
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I remember being surprised last year how much McVay seemed to dislike Henderson. He must have made a really poor impression his rookie year because they drafted Akers and even as the year went on seemed to favor Brown. I am not sure what it is Henderson doesn't seem to be a favorite of the Rams staff.

 
Ilov80s said:
I remember being surprised last year how much McVay seemed to dislike Henderson. He must have made a really poor impression his rookie year because they drafted Akers and even as the year went on seemed to favor Brown. I am not sure what it is Henderson doesn't seem to be a favorite of the Rams staff.
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Maybe work ethic, attitude, poor practice player. Just guessing on all those but some guys never get a chance and it’s years before we find out they didn’t know the playbook, practiced poorly, were often late or first off the field / out of the facility. It’s vexing bc he seems like a talented guy.

 
BobbyLayne said:
Maybe work ethic, attitude, poor practice player. Just guessing on all those but some guys never get a chance and it’s years before we find out they didn’t know the playbook, practiced poorly, were often late or first off the field / out of the facility. It’s vexing bc he seems like a talented guy.
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That was kind of my thought. Not that PFF is the end all but they had Henderson rated at one point as their best performing RB of 2020 and McVay didn't seem interested in giving Henderson more opportunities, if anything he scaled them back. We saw how quick he turned on Goff and it makes me wonder about how committed they will be to Henderson this year. 

 
Drafted these Memphis backs three years in a row (Henderson, Gibson and Gainwell) hoping all 3 lead me back to glory. 

 
Not sure why the concern about his receiving skills, he showed quite a bit in college (and to a lesser degree the pros) that he can be pretty dynamic in that role. My only concern is workload as I think they will monitor that and involve others based on his last two years missing action.

 
King of the Jungle said:
Not sure why the concern about his receiving skills, he showed quite a bit in college (and to a lesser degree the pros) that he can be pretty dynamic in that role. My only concern is workload as I think they will monitor that and involve others based on his last two years missing action.
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I am more concerned that McVay doesn't think he belongs in on passing downs or catching passes then if Henderson has the skills for it. 

 
King of the Jungle said:
Got it, that would be a concern. Although Bobby pointed out he graded well in pass pro, albeit a small sample.
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I was a believer in Henderson's value last year. I usually like to take a shot on cheap 2nd year RBs who disappointed just because we so often see players take a big step in their 2nd year. From my POV, McVay gave him a shot and I thought he was performing well but just needed some more touches. It became pretty clear that McVay wanted Malcolm Brown on the field and that he wasn't going to use Henderson in the passing game. If was really frustrating and has left me with a bad taste. Combine that with how poor his rookie year was and I am pretty much out on Henderson. 

 
Ilov80s said:
I was a believer in Henderson's value last year. I usually like to take a shot on cheap 2nd year RBs who disappointed just because we so often see players take a big step in their 2nd year. From my POV, McVay gave him a shot and I thought he was performing well but just needed some more touches. It became pretty clear that McVay wanted Malcolm Brown on the field and that he wasn't going to use Henderson in the passing game. If was really frustrating and has left me with a bad taste. Combine that with how poor his rookie year was and I am pretty much out on Henderson. 
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I hear you on everything you are saying, however Brown is gone and so is Akers. McVay won’t be mad if Henderson is picking up yards in chunks although I think Jones gets GL shots and Darrell still gets a capped workload.

 
King of the Jungle said:
I hear you on everything you are saying, however Brown is gone and so is Akers. McVay won’t be mad if Henderson is picking up yards in chunks although I think Jones gets GL shots and Darrell still gets a capped workload.
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Fair points and I’ll really regret it if this is the year it comes together for him.

 
Well, I was a huge Akers fan. Obtained him in my dynasty league when Itraded Saquon for Akers, Reagor, and two future firsts before Saquon’s injury last year.

Then a week ago I gave a second for Henderson to hedge against something happening to Akers.

So, now I’m on the Henderson train. 
 

Despite what happened last year, I think McVay does like to have a bellcow, and if Henderson can excel early he could be huge this year.

 
So what tier do we slot him in? Mixon/Gibson-ish, Carson/Montgomery-ish, or Gaskin/Sanders-ish? Higher? Lower?

 
For subscribers, Matt Waldma put out a Gut Check article yesterday with excellent reasoning about Henderson’s rookie year and his college system VS what McVey runs. Good insight on why Akers was drafted/utilized, and what this might mean going forward.

 
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3nOut said:
So what tier do we slot him in? Mixon/Gibson-ish, Carson/Montgomery-ish, or Gaskin/Sanders-ish? Higher? Lower?
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I have Henderson as a middling RB2 with upside to sneak into the back end of the RB1 conversation if everything goes perfectly and he uses lube.

 
King of the Jungle said:
3nOut said:
So what tier do we slot him in? Mixon/Gibson-ish, Carson/Montgomery-ish, or Gaskin/Sanders-ish? Higher? Lower?
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Gaskin/Sander-ish area sounds right at the moment. A lot depends on who they add.
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In an Underdog best ball draft I am currently in (1 qb, 1/2 ppr) Henderson went in the 6th, after Etienne and Gaskin and before Sermon.  He is the RB 2 for his team.

 
Biabreakable said:
I watched this recently and I think he does a good job of demonstrating why Henderson struggled adapting to the Rams zone blocking scheme and how he showed a lot of improvement as far as identifying cut back lanes and performing better within the scheme.

Darrell Henderson Week 3 Breakdown | Speed of Sight | Los Angeles Rams RB 2020 | Fantasy Film Lab

This is what I was talking about when I was asking why did the Rams select Henderson when he didn't really fit their scheme.
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Waldman was saying the same thing from the beginning as well.

 
Have always been a Henderson truther. Big time talent but huge question if he can stay healthy for any duration. Wouldn't be shocked at all at an Aaron Jones like breakout.....but I think best bet might be as a compliment back to stay healthy and maximize his effectiveness.

Maybe they will with Everett gone, but I'd utilize Henderson more in pass game.

 
If they don't bring someone in who is more likely to be a direct backup, Xavier Jones or Calais? Maybe some other wildcard not on the roster but not a big name they bring in. Someone that shines in camp or gets cut elsewhere.

 
Rams coach Sean McVay said he believes Darrell Henderson is "an every-down back" but emphasized "needing to make sure he can stay durable."

"It's never been an 'ability' question with Henderson," McVay expressed. "It’s about, 'How do we keep him available?' I can promise you you’re not seeing Henderson in a preseason game.” He also reiterated that the team isn't immediately exploring the veteran route following Cam Akers' (Achilles') injury. With Henderson's health at the forefront of McVay's approach, Xavier Jones and Jake Funk should be drafted as late-round ambiguous additions in hopes either emerge in a lesser role behind the former. Henderson should still be viewed as a middling/low-end RB2 in summer re-drafts, surging up boards ahead of Week 1 if the organization still hasn't added competition at that point.

SOURCE: Jourdan Rodrigue on Twitter

Jul 26, 2021, 2:45 PM ET
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DARRELL HENDERSON RB, LOS ANGELES RAMS

The Athletic's Jordan Rodrigue said the Rams will deploy a backfield "committee of sorts" to "alleviate" Darrell Henderson of a full workload. 

Rodrigue's reporting is very much in line with how Rams coaches have talked about Henderson since Cam Akers went down to a season-ending Achilles injury. Head coach Sean McVay said in July that he sees Henderson -- who served as LA's starting back for much of the 2020 season's first half -- as an "every-down back" while emphasizing "needing to make sure he can stay durable." Rodrigue said Jake Funk and Xavier Jones have gotten a fair amount of work with the Rams' first-team offense in training camp, indicating one or both guys will rotate with Henderson at times. Rodrigue pointed out that Henderson, 24 this month, hasn't been treated like a true workhorse back since high school. So far, fantasy managers aren't sure what to do with Henderon, who's going at the end of the fourth round in 12-team formats. 

RELATED: 

Jake Funk

, Xavier Jones

SOURCE: The Athletic 

Aug 3, 2021, 8:42 AM ET
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