2020 Darrell Henderson Fantasy Football Player Profile

As we gear up to the start of the NFL season, Football Absurdity is going to bring you a comprehensive breakdown of every notable player that will be available in fantasy football drafts. Here lies Darrell Henderson and his fantasy football value. The heir apparent in Los Angeles seemed poised to take the touches vacated by the Rams cutting Todd Gurley. Then, L.A. went and took Cam Akers with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, setting off one of the firestorm fantasy football debates of the offseason: who gets the majority touches in the Rams’ backfield in 2020?

Darrell Henderson ADP and AAV:
Standard Scoring ADP: RB39, 102 overall
PPR Scoring ADP: RB43, 107 overall
Average Auction Value: $1

Darrell Henderson Statistics:

Darrell Henderson Overview:

Darrell Henderson was a good prospect coming out of college. According to Pro Football Focus, he ripped off 27 runs of at least 20 yards, and nobody else in the 2019 draft class had more than 17. I had him pegged as a day two pick, which is where he went (third round) and he reminded me a lot of Tevin Coleman in his playstyle. His height and weight (5’8” 208 pounds) drew comparisons to Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice for the back.

In the NFL last year, things didn’t exactly go Henderson’s way. He only came in on a handful of snaps and didn’t do much creation with his running or pass-catching abilities. He ended the year with 69 yards on 13 touches against Cincinnati, but that accounted for nearly 40% of his year-long production when all was said and done. Henderson had only five non-garbage time carries go for more than five yards, and his longest catch, against the Bengals, also came in garbage time. Really, Darrell Henderson is still coasting on draft price and a great fourth quarter against Cincy.

Now, the Rams went out and drafted Cam Akers. I had similar final thoughts on Akers and Henderson in the NFL: their fantasy football value depends on destination, and they got the same destination. I think Akers gets the bulk of the work this year. Yes, the Rams traded up to get Henderson, but they had limited ammo in the 2020 draft and chose, out of everyone else on the board, a running back with their first pick (second round). I don’t see how that bodes well for Henderson’s usage going forward.

Darrell Henderson Draft Strategy:

Darrell Henderson Auction Value: $1
Draft Ranking: Find out for your league settings in a Beersheet! (coming late June)

Luckily, everyone is as spooked as I am about what Cam Akers means for Darrell Henderson’s viability. He’s going several rounds after Cam Akers and presents a great upside value for people going 0RB. One thing I’m starting to do that is getting me some squads I feel okay about is taking Akers and Darrell Henderson. The guy I think will be the man (Akers) is coming off the board in the sixth round, but spending a ninth or a tenth on Henderson solidifies that backfield.

Now, you might be thinking that spending two picks on one backfield might be a waste of roster space or valuable draft bullets. You aren’t exactly wrong, but Darrell Henderson is going in the same range as the first DST off the board, and pure handcuffs like Latavius Murray. You might prefer to take a TE in this range, but you’re staring at Austin Hooper and T.J. Hockenson square in the face. They might not be the best use of your draft pick there.

If you get Akers, Darrell Henderson has started to feel like a must. He’s a bulwark against the vagaries of the Hot Hand, and snag Henderson as well. Nobody knows for sure how that backfield shakes out yet, and they are just reading tea leaves. Reach your hand into that hot tea and snatch up all the leaves.

Best Case Scenario:

Darrell Henderson is the back to own in Los Angeles and you wasted a sixth-round pick on Cam Akers.

Worst Case Scenario:

Cam Akers is the back to own in Los Angeles and you wasted a ninth-round pick on Darrell Henderson.

[Statistics are sourced from pro-football-reference.com and airyards.com]