Who Should I Start? Derrick Henry or Jaleel McLaughlin


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
15.8 90.2 0.8 1.0 9.5 0.0

Derrick Henry News

Derrick Henry Is Easier to Fade in Full PPR

Sunday, August 16, 9:44 AM

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry still hasn't given anyone much evidence that he's slowing down. He ran for 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns on 307 carries last season, averaged 5.2 yards per attempt and closed the year with four straight 100-yard games. Baltimore still views him as the clear leader of the backfield, too. The concern in full PPR is everything that happens outside of those carries. Henry caught only 15 passes for 150 yards last year and has 34 receptions in two seasons with the Ravens. That can leave some quiet fantasy weeks when the rushing touchdowns aren't there, even for a player this productive. RotoBaller has Henry 12th overall in half-PPR but 18th in full PPR, which tells the story pretty well. Nobody needs to predict an age-32 collapse after the season he just had. The rushing upside is still enormous. It's just easier to pass on Henry early in full PPR when other backs in that range can give you much more through the air.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.8 2.4 0.0 0.2 1.8 0.0

Jaleel McLaughlin News

Jaleel McLaughlin Fighting for RB4 Spot in 2026

Tuesday, July 14, 7:54 AM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin is set to battle for the RB4 spot in the Broncos' backfield this summer with Tyler Badie, according to The Denver Post's Luca Evans. The Broncos are expected to keep only four RBs on their active 53-man roster, so the loser of the battle will be the odd-man out. McLaughlin was a healthy scratch early on in 2025 but eventually became Denver's most effective per-touch skill player down the stretch after J.K. Dobbins' season-ending foot injury boosted him to RB2 duties behind rookie RJ Harvey. But with rookie Jonah Coleman now in the mix in 2026, McLaughlin's path to a fourth straight season opening the year on the active roster "looks dicey." Badie, meanwhile, is trusted by the coaching staff and quarterback Bo Nix for his pass-protection skills and veteran instincts. The 25-year-old McLaughlin has an impressive 4.8 yards per carry in his career, but Badie's work in passing situations may eventually win out. Even if McLaughlin wins a 53-man roster spot out of training camp and the preseason, it's clear that both his redraft and dynasty fantasy stock has taken a big hit with the addition of Coleman.


Derrick Henry vs. Jaleel McLaughlin

Still trying to decide between Henry and McLaughlin? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Derrick Henry is projected to score 15.8 points this week while Jaleel McLaughlin is projected to score 0.8 points.