2010 Fantasy Football: Will the Henne-Marshall Marriage Pay Dividends?

We all know the story of Brandon Marshall. 

Despite a tumultuous relationship with head coach Josh McDaniels, and a less than stellar QB throwing him the ball, he managed to exceed 100 catches for the third straight season.  He also set a career high in touchdown catches, proving that he is among the elite receivers in the game.

While Kyle Orton put up solid numbers (3,802 yards, 21 TD), one could easily argue that it was Marshall’s presence that allowed Orton to take such a large step forward. 

Now, with Marshall being jettisoned to Miami, he’ll be playing with his third quarterback in three years.

Chad Henne stepped into the starting job once Chad Pennington went down with injury and did an admirable job. 

Davone Bess is a nice receiver, but he’s certainly not an elite option.  He led the team with 76 catches and 758 yards. Only one Miami receiver had as many as three TDs, and only two receivers had as many as 50 catches.  No one outside of Bess had more than 552 yards.

Let’s look at Henne’s numbers last season compared to that of Orton in 2008 with the Bears.

• Henne - 2,878 yards, 12 TD
• Orton - 2,972 yards, 18 TD

They weren’t all that different, meaning the presence of Marshall in Miami could mean huge things for the 2008 second round draft pick. 

Just look at some of the quotes that have been said about the 6′4″, 230 lb. receiver.

“Brandon Marshall is a defensive lineman playing wide receiver. He wants to inflict punishment on you. He wants you to try to tackle him so he can shove you off of him and get more yards.”—Brandon Flowers, Kansas City Chiefs on ESPN

“… my mind, I think Brandon’s the toughest guy to bring down, one-on-one.”—Nnamdi Asomougha, Oakland Raiders, in the Denver Post

Last season, Marshall produced 527 yards after the catch, a number that goes a long way to helping a quarterback’s numbers.  As long as Henne can stay on his feet and get the ball in Marshall’s area, the results are going to be there.

I know I considered Orton an afterthought heading into 2009, but with Marshall at his disposal, he proved me wrong. 

I’m not going to make the same mistake with Henne in 2010. 

Marshall has proven that he can produce no matter who the QB is, and that ability just increases the value of the man throwing him the ball.

While I wouldn’t consider Henne a No. 1 QB, he's an option worth considering for those in two quarterback formats.  He’s currently the 18th quarterback coming off the board, so he’s no longer a steal, but a solid option in all formats.

What are your thoughts on the Marshall-Henne marriage?  How big of an effect will it have on Henne? 

Is he worth using as a No. 2 QB?

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