Henderson (ankle) ruled out vs. Raiders

Henderson wasn’t spotted during the portion of practice open to the media but apparently got on the field at some point later in the session. It’s a truly stunning development for Henderson, given that it was reported this morning that he is expected to miss multiple weeks. We still expect him to sit for Week 6, but even that isn’t guaranteed at this point. Henderson would likely be on a relatively strict pitch count if he plays, but his presence would, at a minimum, be a thorn in the side of Rhamondre Stevenson’s fantasy backers. This is officially an injury report to keep a close eye on throughout the week.

Henderson suffered his latest ankle injury in Week 5 against the Raiders. Schefter said Henderson is “regarded as a quick healer, so the Patriots are hoping his return is sooner rather than later.” Still, he could be sidelined for the next few weeks, leaving Rhamondre Stevenson as the team’s clear lead back. Corey Kiner, meanwhile, appears to be in line as the Patriots’ RB2 after seeing seven touches last week against the Raiders. Kiner should be stashed in most 12-team fantasy leagues for now. Stevenson profiles as a top-12 play until Henderson returns.

Henderson ripped off a nice 11-yard rush and was tackled low out of bounds. He was slow to get up before being helped to the New England locker room for further evaluation. The oft-injured Henderson was seeing better-than-usual usage before his injury. Rhamondre Stevenson will function as the team’s workhorse back if Henderson once again misses time.

Stevenson already told reporters on Friday that he was “ready to go”, so this news item doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Stevenson will continue to operate as the Pats’ top option in high-leverage situations, though he could cede more work between the 20s to TreVeyon Henderson. Both backs are stuck as low-ceiling RB3 options this week.

Stevenson tweaked his knee or ankle on his last touch of Week 4. The game ended shortly after that, so we didn’t get an official update on his injury from the team. Vrabel told reporters there is a chance he plays in Week 5, but it sounds like the veteran is on the wrong side of questionable as of Wednesday. TreVeyon Henderson’s role was dwindling in recent weeks, but Stevenson’s absence will thrust him right back into a workhorse role. He would be a high-end RB2 if Stevenson is unable to go.

Henderson operated as the backup to Rhamodre Stevenson, playing on 25 of the team’s 70 snaps, compared to 49 for Stevenson, and seeing 14 runs to Stevenson’s 13. Stevenson also ran a route on 20 of the team’s 43 dropbacks, compared to 12 for Henderson. Henderson did show off his speed on an 11-yard run, his long of the day, when it seemed like the Bills had him dead to rights on a reverse, but he was able to beat safety Cole Bishop to the edge and turn it upfield. It also seemed like Stevenson hurt his knee on the final drive of the game, so Henderson could be in for a much bigger role if his backfield mate were to miss any time.

Henderson and Rhamonrde Stevenson were bottled up in the first half before the Patriots abandoned the run game in the second half, down by three scores. Henderson nearly broke a couple runs in the first half but was tripped up before a big play could develop. A boom-bust running back option, Henderson will remain big-play dependent in Week 4 against a gettable Buffalo run defense. His lack of pass-game involvement will be an issue in PPR formats.

Henderson was the second running back in the game after Rhamondre Stevenson, but he saw increased opportunity after an early Stevenson fumble. He scored the only offensive touchdown of the game, showcasing his burst on a 39-yard score in the first quarter. Henderson saw 16 touches to Stevenson’s seven and out-snapped the veteran 31 to 18 on the day. The 23-year-old has more speed than Stevenson and it was an encouraging sight to see him get a few red zone snaps amid the backfield split. Henderson benefitted from an early Stevenson fumble and capitalized for a long score; he will be on the RB2/3 borderline for Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Henderson logged a complete week of full practices after missing Week 1 with the ankle injury, returning to the fold to join Rhamondre Stevenson as the top two rushers for the Patriots. The fact that he was able to practice in full for three straight days seems to indicate there won’t be any restrictions with his workload, meaning fantasy managers can start him as a viable FLEX option against the Steelers.

This was already apparent, given his full practice participation, but it is nice to hear. The Patriots will have their RB2 on hand for their second game of the season. Starting RB Rhamondre Stevenson will maintain an RB2-worthy workload, but the Patriots need Henderson to deliver chunk gains. Projecting 10 or so touches for Henderson is reasonable. He is a big-play-based FLEX.