TE Hunter Henry (Los Angeles Chargers) 4th Year
2018 Stats: DNP
2017 Stats: 45 receptions, 579 yards, 4 TD
Henry was an easy breakout candidate for 2018, but a torn ACL during OTAs in late-May took that off the table. He returned for the Chargers’ Divisional Round loss to the Patriots, with one target on 14 snaps.
In 2017, Henry played 56.2 percent of the Chargers’ offensive snaps while Antonio Gates was on the field for 47 percent. The two were also only separated by 10 targets, albeit with Gates playing two more games, but the difference in raw production was substantial.
Henry had more catches, yards and targets, while averaging over two yards more per catch and over three yards more per target.
With Gates as the driving force, Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers has targeted the tight end a lot over the years. Also, Gates and Tyrell Williams are gone and have taken 110 targets from last year with them.
In theory, the Chargers’ “tight end room” is still crowded (Virgil Green, Sean Culkin, etc.). But if Henry is healthy, now over a year removed from his torn ACL, he’s clearly the No. 1 guy and the only fantasy factor.
In a nod to the lack of depth at the position, Henry is being drafted as TE6 or TE5 right now (12-team standard and full-point PPR leagues, respectively, via Fantasy Football Calculator).
As his TE10 finish in 2017, in standard leagues and narrowing to Week 1-Week 16-otherwise known as the meaningful fantasy football season for most-fades from memory, there’s some post-hype appeal to Henry.
In regard to a full-on breakout, playing all 16 games is all that really stands in Henry’s way this year. Anything outside of a top-five fantasy finish at tight end might go down as a disappointment.
2019 Projection: 62 receptions for 732 yards, 7 TD
Breakout Confidence Level: 84%
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