DeMarco Murray was nowhere to be found in the second half of week 2 and Derrick Henry took over. Henry had a 17-yard touchdown and finished with 92 yards on 14 carries against the Jaguars defense. After the game it was confirmed he injured his hamstring.
The 17-yard score led the way to a blow out so it made sense to let Murray rest and be healthy. While injuries are common for Murray, this situation is different. Murray dealt with a hamstring injury in training camp, one that took him a little less than two weeks to come back from. According to reports, it’s not known if this injury is on the same hamstring that Murray hurt back in early August.
The hamstring injury put DeMarco Murray on the shelf in the second half of the Titans win over the Jaguars, but does it mean he’ll never get his featured job back?
How to Handle the situation at this moment
In the first two games, Murray had 60 total yards on 14 touches and then 28 total yards on 10 touches before his injury. Again it may seem normal, but after this injury this could become the end of Murray as the lead back.
If Murray isn’t a go for the week 3 game against Seattle, this opens the door for Henry to show his ability. Henry could have a good week with the Seattle’s run defense has allowed 10-plus fantasy points to a running back in each of the first two weeks.
This could cause Murray to lose some touches. Vice versa, then fantasy owners won’t have to worry as Murray then could get his touches back when he heals.
If you Have Derrick Henry or both
If you’re a Derrick Henry owner, you could be in the driver’s seat.
As I mentioned above, with a chance Murray won’t be available, this could be Henry’s big chance to take over. Even if Murray plays, he’s in for a decent workload. With Seattle’s run defense struggling, he has a good offensive line to run behind.
Tennessee finished the 2016 season as a top-graded run blocking unit, and the Titans brought back all of last year’s starters and have begun the year healthy up front. Henry’s 5.8 yards per carry in two games is No. 12 among running backs.
This could mean with a solid performance, that Henry’s name will be around for people to trade for in fantasy. Expect Henry to be the lead running back by season’s end. The Titans did not use a high draft pick on the running back to not want him to get more involved in the offense.
If you have both then you can relax. Keep tabs over the next week then you can make the determination who to start. But in this case I still start the healthier back in Henry.
What Happens if Henry dominates
If the situation whether Murray plays or not with Henry dominates, then it will be time for panic.
One thing not to do is trade him or cut him. Trading him isn’t an answer because no one will give you anything good for him, not even the owner who has Henry. Cutting him won’t do better because there is no one better. What’s next?
Murray was a second or third-round pick in most leagues. And having to say this it will take really his ability to get healthy and hoping Henry doesn’t do well. But this definitely means Murray and Henry will split reps more.
While the worst hasn’t happened, be prepared for a bumpy ride Murray owners. You could be heading for a disappointing road.
Featured image from tennessean.com.
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