Who Should I Start? Derrick Henry or Jaleel McLaughlin

Saturday, December 13, 10:51 AM

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry continues to boast RB1 potential heading into the Week 15 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite finishing as the RB20 in half-PPR leagues against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14, Henry has a bounce back opportunity versus a weaker run defense. In Week 13 against the Bengals, Henry finished with 10 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown to go along with one reception for 44 yards. He could have been used even more in that matchup, and the Ravens' coaching staff took some heat for their decision to not give him the ball more often. The Bengals still rank last against opposing running backs and the Ravens are fighting for their playoff lives, so Henry still carries RB1 value in this game.

Wednesday, December 17, 9:47 PM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin has been buried on Denver's RB depth chart for most of the year. He's been active in only five games in 2025, handling 19 carries for 69 yards (career-low 3.6 yards per carry) while catching three of his four targets for 10 yards. The 25-year-old played only nine offensive snaps (13% snap share) in Sunday's victory over the Green Bay Packers, carrying the ball two times for four yards. McLaughlin has been on the fantasy watch list going into Week 16, though, with rookie RJ Harvey leaving the Week 15 contest late due to a rib injury. Harvey returned to a full practice on Wednesday and is expected to be fine for Week 16 this Sunday against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, but his injury is a reminder that McLaughlin would be the likely next man up as Denver's lead back if anything were to happen to Harvey. McLaughlin is handcuff-worthy in deeper fantasy formats, and he's rostered in just 2% of Yahoo leagues.