Fantasy Football Trade Value | Should You Be Dealing Away Titans’ Derrick Henry Before Potential Real Trade? Should You Add Tyjae Spears?

The NFL’s trade deadline is October 31, so the rumors are starting to pick up. 

This past week, Tennessee Titans’ running back was at the center of the trade rumors. I saw several social media posts that indicated several teams were interested in possibly acquiring Henry.

That doesn’t leave fantasy owners with much to go off of, and now many are wondering what to do if they own Henry, or wondering what they might need to give up to get Henry. Let’s tackle it all.

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Henry’s 2023 Season

Let’s begin by looking at what the 29-year old running back has done this season in Tennessee. He isn’t the workhorse he once was, but he’s still putting together a fine season.

Henry has rushed 98 times for 425 yards and three touchdowns. His 4.3-yard per carry figure is right on pace with what he’s done the past couple seasons. 

What is down is his rushing attempts per game. He’s at just 16.3 attempts after averaging 21.8 last season and a career-high 27.4 two seasons ago. You’d expect his number to dip a bit as he ages, but to have five less carries a week isn’t what most people expected. A lot of that has to do with the Titans trailing and trying to catch back up.

Henry has rushed for over 50 yards in four of the team’s six games. He’s got one 100-yard game and has scored a touchdown every other week.

Henry has added a bit as a pass catcher, catching 11 of the 13 passes thrown his way. He’s turned his catches into 117 receiving yards.

He’s been targeted at least once in all but one contest. However, 56 of his receiving yards came in one game, with a 46-yard reception driving his overall numbers way up. In other words, he isn't doing much as a pass catcher.

Henry is still far and away the Titans’ top fantasy player, but No. 2 back Tyjae Spears has kept Henry from being the fantasy star he once was.

Spears has only played 19 less snaps than Henry through six games. Spears is 63 touches back, so at least he isn't cutting too much into Henry's valuethat way.

Spears has attempted 32 runs for 171 yards and a touchdown. His 5.5-yard average is part of the reason why the Titans could entertain moving on from Henry. Spears is also just 22 years old and is good in the passing game, with 15 grabs on 20 targets, going for 111 yards.

Henry’s Fantasy Outlook

It’s hard to look too far ahead with Henry because of the possibility of a trade taking place. Tennessee currently sits in last place in the AFC North and has a pivotal matchup in week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons. I’d think a Tennessee loss in that contest would push the team to move on from Henry, while a victory gives the team a glimmer of hope that they can turn things around and possibly still sneak into the playoffs.

The NFL's new postseason format really makes it hard for teams to determine what direction to move their franchise in, and I think the trade deadline should be moved back a couple more weeks, but I digress.

Let's get back to the week 8 game, which is just a couple days away, and the trade deadline is two days after that. If Henry does get traded, it’ll be done before this time next week. So if you don't want to risk having Henry land in a bad fantasy spot, you got to make this deal now.

What to do if You Roster Henry

Many fantasy owners are probably trying to sell Henry now and cash in on his value. A trade to a new team could leave Henry in a committee, or on an offense that’s already got several fantasy assets. 

My thought is that if a team wants to trade for Henry, they are going to have a plan in place to utilize him and go after a Super Bowl. I’m not saying he will be used like he was in his prime, but he’s going to have a big enough role to still be a fantasy asset for you the rest of the season. We can assess the situation he's in if a trade gets done.

Many fantasy owners are probably trying to take advantage of some of your skepticism on what situation Henry might fall into, and are trying to acquire Henry at a much lower price than what he’s actually worth. 

Henry was a high draft pick this fall, and you likely aren’t going to be getting that kind of value in return.

I say if you own Henry, stick with him. I like the chances of him being traded, and think it will be to a good situation, where opposing defenses won’t be able to key in on him without opening things up in the passing game. He might not be able to carry you to fantasy glory, but he's likely still going to be an easy start every week.

One roster move I would make if I owned Henry is adding Spears. Our charts show he’s owned in 70% of leagues. There’s a decent chance you can scoop up a back that could be the Titans’ lead back by week 9. Make that move if you can, and if Henry doesn’t get traded, you can always drop Spears if he isn’t producing enough for your liking.

Should You Trade for Henry?

The answer to this question is tricky. If I’m not in favor of trading away Henry, that means I am in favor of acquiring him. However, I don’t know if you’re going to come out as the winner of the deal.

Fantasy owners that spent a top pick on Henry should be bullish on letting him go for a much lower return than first- or second-round value. So, you’ll need to offer up a pretty good player in a one-for-one deal to get Henry.

Our trade analyzer has Henry in popular trades with New York Jets’ Breece Hall and Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua. While I think Henry will succeed in whatever situation he’s in the rest of the season, I like Hall and Nacua more than Henry right now, so I wouldn’t do those deals.

Our trade value charts have Henry near some running backs that I’d be more comfortable dealing away. Miami Dolphins’ Raheem Mostert is a player I’m looking to trade, and would be good with swapping him for Henry. New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley and Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh Jacobs are two other backs near Henry that I’d be comfortable moving on from too.

I’d probably be most comfortable moving a couple depth pieces for Henry. Check out the player ratings and find a couple players who own solid player ratings that you can move on from and try offering them up for Henry.

Good luck to you if you are trying to acquire Henry, but if there’s one thing you need to take away from this article, it’s to add Spears if he’s available. Do it now before it's too late.