Will the Titans RB Play in Week 9? Fantasy Impact and More

Any time a team is playing on a short week, there are always concerns over the health of the players for fantasy football managers. This week, one of the players that the concern revolves around is Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry. Let’s take a look at the latest injury update for Henry, whether he is expected to play in Week 9, and what it means for fantasy managers.

Latest Injury Update on Derrick Henry

The information surrounding Henry’s ankle injury is somewhat vague, given the Titans’ haven’t actually practiced this week. Both of their Week 9 practice reports have been estimations, with the team having a walkthrough instead of a full practice. However, Henry has been estimated as limited on both reports so far.

The fact that Henry was limited on those reports can be spun as both a positive and a negative. Ideally, you do not ever want to see a player of Henry’s caliber on the injury report unless it’s with a rest designation. However, the fact he is listed as a limited estimation on both days and not a non-participation suggests there is still hope for him to play on Thursday.

Henry was seen out on the field Tuesday as the Titans’ players did some individual drills in preparation for the week ahead and didn’t look like he was struggling. Henry was also interviewed in the locker room ahead of practice and didn’t seem overly concerned about any ankle issues.

Will Henry Play This Week?

It very much seems as though the plan is for Henry to be on the field with the team when they face the Steelers in Week 9.

It appears as though this is just a precautionary situation with the Titans, and it would be no surprise to see Henry as a full participant come Wednesday. If that’s the case, he could easily be removed from the injury report altogether.

MORE: Fantasy Football IR Week 9 Injury Report

We always have to be aware of any downgrade in status, as that’s usually a concerning sign for any player, let alone a starting RB with quite a few miles on the clock. However, even if Henry is a full participant, it’s unlikely the Titans are going to go hard at practice on Wednesday with only one day before their game against Pittsburgh.

It would be a shock right now if Henry isn’t available when the Titans take to the field on Thursday night.

Fantasy Implications if Henry Is Out

Purely from the Titans’ point of view, any absence for Henry would likely elevate Tyjae Spears into a full role against the Steelers. Spears is second on the team with 34 carries that he’s turned into 198 yards and a touchdown. He has featured more in the passing game with 24 targets, 18 receptions, and 120 yards.

If Henry is out, we would likely see the Titans elevate Jonathan Ward from the practice squad to backup Spears. It feels like if there was a serious threat of Henry missing the game, we might have seen the Titans check out some other options to add to the roster this week.

The beauty of this game being on a Thursday is that if Henry is out, there are plenty of options to which you can pivot. Most fantasy managers will have a couple of bench options they could plug into their lineup if need be. If not, the waiver wire will still have plenty of players that can be added and started ahead of Sunday.

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