Week 1 at Miami Dolphins
Mac Jones' favorite target in the red zone is ready for another run. Hunter Henry caught nine touchdown passes in 2021 and was one of the better red zone options in the league. As the Patriots' passing game grows, so too will Henry's opportunities. The downside is Jonnu Smith is still around, so Henry's ceiling will always be capped. That said, he did record 86 yards in Week 18 against Miami, so he has some success against the Dolphins. He's a borderline TE1 this week.
2022 Fantasy Upside
The Patriots went out and spent big on two tight ends during the 2021 offseason and it seemed like both would be well-involved in the offense. Turns out, it was only Hunter Henry who was well-involved, catching nine touchdown passes and being the red-zone target for Mac Jones, leading to a TE9 finish in half-PPR. No reason to think that won’t continue in 2022.
2022 Fantasy Downside
New England will still run the ball plenty and there are a few more mouths to feed in the passing game, including new addition DeVante Parker. And Jonnu Smith is still hanging around, so Henry won’t get all the attention in the middle of the field on offense.
2022 Bottom Line
Henry is a very solid TE2 option. He’ll get the red zone opportunities from Mac Jones, but Smith helps limit the ceiling of Henry, capping him as a matchup-based low-end TE1.
Week 17 vs Jaguars
And it was right back to the low performances for Hunter Henry. He saw six targets but only caught one of them for nine yards. Still, the touchdown possibility is always there. He's still a favorite in the red zone. But believe it or not, the Jaguars are actually really good against opposing tight ends, ranking No. 5 against them. So while he always has a pretty high ceiling, it's not out of the question if he gets near his low floor again, especially if Mac Jones stays on his recent funk he is in.
Week 16 vs Bills
Hunter Henry finally got off his drought last week with his best performance since Week 5 (6-77-2). He was shut out in the first meeting with the Bills, but of course, basically, everyone was for the Patriots. Kendrick Bourne may also be out this week, so there will be one less mouth to feed which could open things up again for Henry. He's back as a top-10 TE option this week.
Week 15 vs Colts
While Week 13 was a quiet day for everyone in the passing game in New England, it's almost the cherry on top of what has been a very quiet stretch for Hunter Henry. In his last three games, he has four catches for 41 yards and zero touchdowns. He's a TE2 but it is a favorable matchup. Indy ranks No. 29 in our matchup rankings against opposing tight ends.
Week 13 vs Bills
That touchdown streak feels so long ago and that's a shame because that's what was saving Hunter Henry's fantasy days. Now he's just...there. And Jonnu Smith is still around and even outperformed Henry against the Titans. Henry has fallen back to low TE2 territory, especially against the No. 6 defense against fantasy tight ends in Buffalo. (Now watch Henry score this week.)
Week 12 vs Titans
Week 11 against the Falcons was just the second game in the last eight that Hunter Henry didn't score a touchdown. He also only played half of the offensive snaps against the Falcons and once again had just three targets. Henry is getting by on touchdowns, but at the tight end position, that's okay. However, it is another pretty tough matchup, as Tennessee ranks in the top ten against opposing tight ends, so it could also be another low stat game for Henry, so just be aware.
Week 11 vs Falcons
That's six games out of seven now with a touchdown for Hunter Henry. He isn't gobbling up targets or yards (his 37 yards Sunday were his most since Week 5) but those red zone touchdowns are still gold. Atlanta is a favorable matchup (No. 21 vs TEs in our matchup rankings), so it's a pretty good bet Henry makes it seven out of eight. Keep riding the hot hand.
Week 10 vs Browns
Thank goodness for red zone touchdowns. Otherwise, Hunter Henry would be having a very quiet season. He now has five touchdowns in his last six games, but hasn't had more than 33 yards in his last four games and just two games with at least 40 yards. And it doesn't get much easier as Cleveland ranks 10th on our matchup rankings against tight ends. He's a TE2 at best this week.
Week 9 vs Panthers
Hunter Henry's touchdown streak came to end and quite quietly at that. Just one catch on three targets for Henry. At least it was for 33 yards?
Henry just sneaks into our top 12 tight ends for the week, but recent weeks have shown the tight ends are pretty quiet in the offense lately, save for those touchdowns from Henry. And Jonnu Smith is still hanging around, continuing to limit Henry's upside.
