After a very strong summer and an electrifying start to the preseason, Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson is beginning to make waves in fantasy football drafts.
Currently sitting as the 19th ranked fantasy running back entering the season, ESPN’s Field Yates believes that Henderson can be a fantasy football star as a rookie.
Backing up his belief, Yates picked Henderson as one of his nine, “must-draft” running backs this season.
“This is instant offense for a team that is desperate for playmakers,” Yates said. “TreVeyon Henderson is exactly what the Patriots need right now. Besides Stefon Diggs there is no Patriots wide receiver that I’m absolutely certain will have value in a 10-team league.
“There’s a chance that the best weapons in this offense will be one, Stefon Diggs, and two TreVeyon Henderson.”
According to Yates and his co-hosts Daniel Dopp and Mike Clay, Henderson is already shooting up draft boards, into the top 50 selections of ESPN fantasy drafts. Entering the year, his projected numbers sit at just over 220 carries, 992 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns.
Although Yates recognizes that Rhamondre Stevenson could still have a significant spot in New England’s backfield, he actually thinks those touches could be beneficial for Henderson.
“Rhamondre Stevenson having a role, could actually be a good thing for Henderson,” Yates said. “Not a huge role, but a role. Let him be the thunder to Henderson’s lightning.”
More than anything else, the additions of Henderson and Diggs will also be greatly beneficial to Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, according to Yates.
Last week, Yates picked Maye as a potential top-10 fantasy quarterback this year, largely in part due to the improved supporting cast around him.
With the new weapons, Yates sees a team committed to its quarterback, and a signal caller ready to take hold of his own potential.
“I’m going to use some of the similar logic that I’ve used with Travis Hunter in Jacksonville,” Yates said. “When you’re trying to get your quarterback to reach his peak, you want to make sure you’re giving him all the resources around him.
“This Patriots team wants to see Drake Maye take a big leap, and we all have confidence that can happen. The best way to do that is give pieces around Drake Maye. And with Henderson, you put him in the microwave, the next thing you know he has like 50 yards. He’s a superb, superb athlete.”
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