Who Should I Start? Hunter Henry or Dameon Pierce

Friday, March 8, 12:06 PM

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry was scheduled to be a free agent next week, but the organization signed him to a three-year, $27 million deal on Friday. Henry signed with the Patriots on a three-year deal during the 2021 offseason after five years with the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers. He's hauled in 143 passes for 1,531 yards and 17 touchdowns in his three years with New England despite poor quarterback play from Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. Unless New England's next quarterback is a vast improvement, Henry will remain a touchdown-dependent fantasy option with limited upside.

Thursday, May 2, 4:48 PM

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce had a notable rookie campaign after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In just 13 games before being sidelined with injuries, he racked up 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries and caught 30 passes for 165 yards and one score. However, his role, production, and efficiency declined in 2023 after the arrival of Devin Singletary, as he posted just 517 total yards and rushed for 2.9 yards per carry. Singletary is now gone, but the team traded for former Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Despite this, Texans general manager Nick Caserio spoke highly of Pierce in a recent media availability. "He is going to be a big part of what we're doing. Watching him move on the field, he looks pretty good. Everybody's looking forward to the opportunity in front of them; you can't worry about what's happened in the past," Caserio said. "He's got as good an attitude as anyone on the team. We're glad DP is here." While you never know whether a head coach or general manager is being honest in these situations, Caserio's comments can only help his fantasy stock. Fantasy managers should go into the season with low expectations for Pierce, but he should at least be viewed as a high-end handcuff running back in what projects to be one of the league's best offenses.