Week 2 vs. Miami Dolphins
Hunter Henry did not catch a single pass last week. Even more concerning is the fact Antonio Gates played more snaps than him in a matchup against Denver that should have helped TEs rather than targeting WRs covered by strong CBs. Now, Henry is too risky to start in your lineups. Find a streaming TE option for Week 2. Our streaming TE article is a good place to start.
Week 1 at Denver Broncos
If the Broncos elite defense is vulnerable anywhere, it is against tight ends. Denver ranked only 18th in PPR points allowed to the position a year ago. Hunter Henry, in two games against the Broncos, produced 6-83-1 and 2-14-0 lines. So, how lucky do you feel? We have Henry as a high-end TE2 to open the season in this matchup, which means it's likely a touchdown or bust proposition if you are considering starting him in your redraft leagues. Antonio Gates did also score a touchdown in the two games against Denver last season, proving even more there is opportunity for Chargers tight ends to score this week. Again though...how lucky do you feel?
Fantasy Upside
As ESPN suggested, it's rare for a rookie tight end to make a splash in fantasy, but Hunter Henry did exactly that in 2016, leading all rookie tight ends with eight touchdown receptions. The second-round pick was on the field for only 54 percent of the Chargers' offensive snaps but only ten tight ends scored more fantasy points. The Arkansas product also did a nice job playing through some nagging injuries, missing only one game during his initial campaign. Henry finished with 36 receptions for 478 yards, including 10 catches for seven touchdowns in the red zone. Antonio Gates and Henry played about the same amount in 2016 (Gates 554 snaps, Henry 546 snaps) although Gates finished with 53 receptions for 548 yards and seven touchdowns.
Fantasy Downside
Gates said he plans to return in 2017, but Henry will likely play the lion's share of snaps, with Gates being used in passing situations and in the red zone.
2017 Bottom Line
Another offseason of work with quarterback Philip Rivers should make Henry even better in his second season while shouldering more of the workload (especially with reports his blocking left a strong impression last year). Draft him as a low-end TE1 with room to outperform expectations.
Week 17 vs. Kansas City
Hunter Henry was shutout last week and didn't even receive a target. Those playing Henry were flirting with disaster for the last several week as TDs in four of his last five games leading up to last week saved what would have been otherwise poor fantasy days in that span.
Last week shouldn't have come as a surprise as we called Henry a TD-dependent play. After getting shutout last week, he becomes a risky play again this week, especially after Antonio Gates posted an 8-94-1 line last week. Start Henry with caution in a very tough matchup against the Chiefs, who are fourth in allowing fantasy points to the position.
Week 16 at Cleveland
Hunter Henry caught three balls for 34 yards last week and added his seventh TD of the season. It was also his fourth TD catch in the last five games. For the first time in a few weeks, Henry out-performed Gates in terms of catches, yards and targets (four vs. Gates' two).
Henry is likely still a TD-dependent play for fantasy lineups. He comes in as a TE2 play, with Gates still a borderline TE1 option. Henry is a great red zone target for Philip Rivers, but could potentially bust a fantasy owner's day with low catches and yardage totals. The good news is it's a great matchup this week, as the Browns are 29th in allowing fantasy points to TEs. All that staid, continue to start Henry with caution.
Week 15 vs. Oakland
Hunter Henry caught just two balls for 13 yards last week on five targets last week, but posted his second TD over his last three games. Henry is TD-dependent as he has just five catches for 47 yards over his last three games, but he does have two TDs in that span. Antonio Gates continues to be the main target in terms of receptions and yards, but right now, the two are working against one another in the fantasy world and both are risky plays.
Week 13 vs. Tampa Bay
Hunter Henry caught just two balls for 20 yards last week on three targets, but did manage to score a TD on one of those catches, saving owners who put Henry in lineups. Teammate Antonio Gates was shut out last week, while Henry had just three targets.
This week, it's a real nice matchup against the Bucs, who are 25th in allowing fantasy points to TEs. However, Henry falls as a mid-range TE2 option, while Gates is still listed as a TE1. Obviously, the two are going to work against one another from a fantasy perspective, but Henry has a TD in each of his last two games, so he's certainly a red zone target.
Week 9 vs. Tennessee
Hunter Henry had just two catches for 14 yards last week after returning from a concussion, after having a 1-16-0 line the week before. After a stretch of four-straight TE1-type games, Henry has leveled off a bit, perhaps due to the concussion. Antonio Gates has now moved back ahead of Henry on our TE list, and for the first time it seems the two are really capping one another's overall value. Henry is now a bit of a risk for lineups until we see him back to the form he showed between Weeks 3-6.
Week 7 at Atlanta
Hunter Henry had the best day of any Charger receiver last week in what was a tough matchup against Denver. Henry caught six balls for 83 yards and a TD on eight targets. Henry now has a TD in three-straight games and is averaging a line of over four catches and 73 yards a game over his last four.
The last two games, Henry has done it with Antonio Gates in the lineup, although Gates said he's not 100-percent yet. It should be pretty clear that Henry is going to have a role in the offense, especially with all the weapons the team has lost this season. Gates will likely take away some targets when fully healthy, but it seems the Bolts want to get the ball in Henry's hands (so at the very least, he should be a lower-end TE1 play most weeks -- even with Gates around). This week, it's a great matchup, as the Falcons are just 29th in allowing fantasy points to TEs, and Henry is a top play.
Week 6 vs. Denver
Hunter Henry caught three balls for 74 yards and a TD last week. It marked three-straight weeks of very nice fantasy production for the rookie. The other interesting thing about last week's performance is Antonio Gates was active for that game, and Henry still produced.
While Henry's production didn't take a hit last week, his value may be capped with Gates around and now seemingly healthy again. Gates did catch a TD pass, but only played on 35 percent of the snaps to Hunter's 82 percent. This could become more balanced going forward, but this week may also be tough to gauge just how this is going to work as the team takes on the Broncos (who are third in allowing fantasy points to TEs). As a result, Henry takes a hit in our rankings and is just 16th on our list, while Gates is 18th. This is maybe a situation to stay away from until we get a a better idea of how things are going to work.
