Running Back · New England Patriots
TreVeyon Henderson — 2026 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis by Shawn Childs, from his 2026 guide — his words, unedited.
The case
- · Henderson was boom or bust fantasy starting running back in his first year with New England (three impact games – 28.00, 32.30, and 30.10), but he scored under 10.00 PPR fantasy points in eight matchups.
- · New England gave him high-volume starting snaps from Week 9 to Week 11, leading to explosive results (47/264/4 – 5.8 yards per carry with 10 catches for 66 yards and another score).
- · He gained 20 or more rushing yards on six plays, with four of those plays gaining over 50 yards with touchdowns (69, 65, 55, and 52).
- · The Patriots only gave him 43 carries over his first seven games (153 yards with one touchdown – 3.6 yards per rush).
- · They also moved away from him running the ball in the postseason (9/27, 12/25, 3/5, and 6/19).
- · Henderson scored two touchdowns in four games.
- · New England drafted another offensive tackle (Caleb Lomu) in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and they signed G Alijah Vera-Tucker to a three-year deal for $42 million.
Question marks
- · Rhamondre Stevenson isn’t going away unless fumbles reenter his equation, or he gets injured.
- · Henderson must make better lane decisions on cutback runs.
- · Will the Patriots’ offensive line play better in 2026? They gained 4.0 yards per carry outside of Henderson’s four big scoring plays while allowing 48 sacks.
Shawn's conclusion
Henderson is an excellent RB2 selection in Best Ball formats due to his explosiveness. He should be more active and more consistent in his sophomore season. The Patriots’ young ball carrier checks the winning boxes in yards, touchdowns, and catches, while trailing the best running backs in the game in opportunity. With 18 touches a game (12.6 in 2025), Henderson would be a top 12 running back this year.
More on Henderson
Henderson was a big ADP mover late in last year’s draft season. Seven games into his NFL career, he left fantasy drafters wondering what his pre-draft excitement was. Over this span, the Patriots’ rookie back gained 252 combined yards with one touchdown and 16 catches on 59 touches, leading to 6.74 fantasy points per game in PPR formats.
After an empty two-touch game for five yards, Henderson flashed in Week 8 (10/75), followed by a winning run over five matchups (76/397/4 with 16 catches for 100 yards and one touchdown on 92 touches) with Rhamondre Stevenson banged up. He had two impact fantasy games (28.00 and 32.30) in PPR formats.
After another winning day in Week 15 (14/148/2 with two catches for 13 yards), Henderson was losing fantasy points over six (2.20, 8.20, 4.60, 3.50, 0.50, and 7.50) of his final seven matchups. He had a competitive opportunity in Week 17 (19/82) and Week 18 (13/53/2), but New England only gave him 41 touches over his other five matchups (121 combined yards with six catches and no touchdowns).
Despite his up-and-down rookie campaign, Henderson finished 21st in running back scoring (207.20 fantasy points) in PPR leagues. He scored 43.6% of his fantasy points in three games, showcasing his explosiveness along with his downside when game flow doesn’t break his way.
Henderson checks the explosive boxes needed to win overall championships, but the Patriots must give him enough touches over the first three months of the season to keep those fantasy teams in the playoff hunt. He finished the regular season in 2025 with 1,132 combined yards, 10 touchdowns, and 35 catches on 215 touches, which grades much better than the feeling when slipping him into starting lineups in many weeks. Henderson should have a natural progression in his second year in the NFL, suggesting closer to 250 touches with 1,400+ combined yards, 12 scores, and 40 catches.
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