Start Kenneth Walker or Derrick Henry? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Derrick Henry over Kenneth Walker in Week 1.

Kenneth Walker is priced by the books at 4.7 projected points and Derrick Henry is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take Derrick Henry at ADP 15 and Kenneth Walker at 23.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for Derrick Henry in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 4.7 fantasy points for Kenneth Walker, with 33 percent of the markets a RB needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

Derrick Henry and BAL visit IND.

IND allowed 39.1 fantasy points to RBs in its one game this season, the 3rd most in the league.

Running backs ran for 162 yards and 3 touchdowns against IND and caught passes for 29 more yards.

Kenneth Walker and KC host DEN on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.

DEN allowed 42.9 fantasy points to RBs in its one game this season, the 2nd most in the league.

Running backs ran for 197 yards and a touchdown against DEN and caught passes for 62 more yards.

By points allowed to the position, Kenneth Walker has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Derrick Henry was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Kenneth Walker was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Derrick Henry played 17 games for BAL and scored 279.5 PPR points, 16.4 a game, finishing RB8.

He ran 307 times for 1595 yards and 16 touchdowns, and caught 15 of 21 targets for 150 yards.

He was on the field for 54 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Derrick Henry, Week 18 of 2025 against PIT: 20 carries for 126 yards, 1 target and 0 catches for 0 yards, 12.6 PPR points.

Derrick Henry, Week 17 of 2025 against GB: 48 of 76 snaps, 36 carries for 216 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards, 4 touchdowns, 45.6 PPR points.

Derrick Henry, Week 16 of 2025 against NE: 24 of 55 snaps, 18 carries for 128 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards, 2 touchdowns, 22.8 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Derrick Henry scored 35.3 PPR points and Kenneth Walker scored 34.1.

The call was right: Derrick Henry outscored Kenneth Walker by 1.2.

Derrick Henry, Week 1 against IND: 37 of 68 snaps, 24 carries for 144 yards, 1 target and 1 catch for 19 yards, 3 touchdowns, 35.3 PPR points.

Derrick Henry finished as the week's RB1 in PPR scoring.

Kenneth Walker finished 29.4 points above the 4.7 the props implied.

Kenneth Walker, Week 1 against DEN: 47 of 69 snaps, 23 carries for 173 yards, 6 targets and 3 catches for 18 yards, 2 touchdowns, 34.1 PPR points.

Kenneth Walker finished as the week's RB2 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Derrick Henry over Ashton Jeanty.
• Start Derrick Henry over Chase Brown.
• Start De'Von Achane over Derrick Henry.
• Start Kenneth Walker over Ashton Jeanty.
• Start Kenneth Walker over Breece Hall.
• Start Chase Brown over Kenneth Walker.