Fantasy Football: One Breakout Candidate From Every NFL Team
Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
Some of the breakout candidates on this list have been guys with a non-elite ceiling -- players who probably won't reach the top tiers at their position unless things really break just right -- but solid floor. That's not the case with Derrick Henry.
Backing up DeMarco Murray, Henry has a pretty low floor, but he also has massive upside if he were to take the lead job.
Murray was outstanding in his first year with the Tennessee Titans, finishing as the RB5 in PPR formats as he racked up 1,664 total yards and 12 total scores. Going into 2017, Murray is firmly atop the depth chart -- make no mistake about it.
While Henry didn't get the necessary volume as a rookie to be a fantasy stud, he had a promising campaign. In fact, per our numbers, he was a little better than Murray, although it's easier to maintain good per-play efficiency over a smaller sample size.
| Player | Attempts | Rushing NEP/Carry | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derrick Henry | 110 | 0.03 | 48.18% |
| DeMarco Murray | 293 | 0.02 | 44.02% |
As a reminder, -0.02 Rushing NEP per play and a 40.28% Success Rate were the league averages for running backs, so both of these backs feasted behind Tennessee's solid offensive line.
Henry has elite upside if Murray were to go down, but he could also post an underwhelming full-season line if Murray -- who has missed a mere three games since the start of 2013 -- stays on the field. With his ADP sitting in the seventh round, Henry will likely need a bump in volume to pay off, but he could win you your league if he catches that big break.
