Who Should I Start? Derrick Henry or Jahmyr Gibbs

Monday, September 8, 9:47 AM

Baltimore Ravens All-Pro running back Derrick Henry was absolutely dominant on Sunday in the Ravens' 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football. Henry rushed for 169 yards on 18 carries and added one reception for 13 yards. His two touchdown scores were from 30 yards out in the second quarter and 46 yards out in the fourth quarter. Henry also suffered the lowlight of Sunday's contest when he coughed up a fumble on Baltimore's second-to-last drive, allowing the Bills to score a touchdown with just under two minutes remaining to close the gap to 40-38. Most importantly for fantasy managers, the 31-year-old showed zero signs of slowing down or falling off because of his age, and he conceded three total carries to fellow running backs Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali. Wide receiver Zay Flowers had a few end-arounds, and Lamar Jackson attempted six rushes, but nothing threatening towards Henry's workload is a positive sign for fantasy managers. Up next is a date with the Cleveland Browns, who looked good defensively in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Henry will remain an RB1 heading into Week 2.

Friday, September 5, 4:47 PM

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs was a consensus early first-round pick in fantasy drafts this year after recording over 1,900 yards from scrimmage and leading the NFL with 20 touchdowns in 2024. Heading into his third NFL season, Gibbs could be gradually stealing touches from his veteran backfield mate, David Montgomery. However, Gibbs has not historically had huge fantasy success against his Week 1 opponent, the Green Bay Packers. In four career games against Green Bay, Gibbs has averaged just over 11 touches for just over 68 yards per contest and scored only one touchdown. The Packers defense generally excels with speed over power, so the Lions have leaned on their physical run game behind Montgomery in recent seasons. Gibbs is still clearly a must-start fantasy RB1 this week with massive upside, but past performance against the Packers suggests this might not be a monster showing for him.