Who Should I Start? Derrick Henry or Christian Kirk

Thursday, January 29, 5:01 PM

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry had some issues with ball security and inconsistency in 2025, but overall he remained a highly productive player. Across 17 games, Henry recorded 307 carries for 1,595 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Going into 2026, Henry will be entering his age-32 season with more than 2,800 career regular-season touches under his belt. Traditional aging curves indicate that Henry is long overdue for a decline in production. Additionally, his PPR fantasy value remains limited by his lack of production as a receiver, as he recorded just 15 receptions for the season in 2025. However, Henry may be enough of a physical outlier that he can continue to stave off father time. He will also presumably get the benefit of playing a full season next to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who missed time in 2025 due to multiple injuries. As long as he makes it through the offseason healthy, Henry profiles as a high-end running back option for 2026. In dynasty formats, Henry's long-term outlook is murkier due to his age.

Friday, January 16, 3:12 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk posted an underwhelming regular season in his first year with the team, recording 28 receptions for 239 yards and a touchdown on 52 targets across 13 games played. However, the 29-year-old broke out with a dominant performance in Houston's Wild Card Weekend win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, hauling in eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. With star Texans wideout Nico Collins (concussion) exiting the game in the second half after suffering a concussion, Kirk stepped into a more prominent role in his team's offense. Collins has not practiced this week and is reportedly trending towards missing Houston's Divisional Round matchup against the New England Patriots. As a result, Kirk could see another week as the primary target-earner from Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. If Collins is ruled out, fantasy managers should view Kirk as the top wide receiver option in Houston for the Divisional Round.