Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston reports that the Titans are expected to sign RB Tony Pollard. That'll be a surprising move for a team that drafted RB Tyjae Spears in Round 3 last year -- and a GM who talked him up at the Combine. Pollard's coming off a disappointing season in his first turn as Dallas' lead back. But it has since been reported that he spent much of 2023 still working back from his end-of-2022 leg injury. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Tennessee is giving Pollard a three-year, $24 million deal. That obviously positions Pollard as the Titans' new lead back and crushes Spears' 2024 upside. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to hang on to the second-year runner rather than sell low in dynasty. Pollard has been going RB22 in Underdog Fantasy ADP -- four spots behind Spears in positional ADP. Expect both those numbers to change. Pollard should remain a fine best ball target at least up to RB15 range. Check our updated RB rankings to see where he and Spears settle.
The Titans fired HC Mike Vrabel. Tennessee went 41-24 over Vrabel's first four seasons, making the playoffs in 2019, 2020, and 2021. But the Titans won just 13 games total over the last two seasons and ranked bottom-5 in total offense both years. This offense might look a lot different in 2024, with a new coaching staff and potentially no Derrick Henry.
Titans RB Derrick Henry managed just 42 yards on 12 carries in Sunday's loss to the Texans. That marked his third time in the past four games with 3.5 yards per carry or less. Henry also went without a catch for the first time since Week 3. He has finished seven of his past eight contests with 1 reception or fewer. That all makes Henry a shaky play for Week 18 vs. Jacksonville. And might we also see Tennessee give more work to rookie RB Tyjae Spears in the game's final season -- ahead of an offseason that will almost certainly see Henry leave? It wouldn't be a crazy move. We'll watch for any indication of Week 18 plans. Either way, you shouldn't be excited to play Henry in any format in Week 18.
Titans RB Derrick Henry logged a ridiculously low 10 total yards in Sunday's OT loss to the Texans. It wasn't because of a lack of touches, though. Henry carried 16 times, his fourth straight games with at least that many rushing attempts. He also caught a team-high four passes on 4 targets. Both tied his season highs. But Henry ran for just 9 yards and managed a single receiving yard. Perhaps Houston just figured out how to defend him. If that's the case, he'll be unhappy to see the Texans again in Week 17. And we'll have to be wary of that matchup. In between comes a positive spot against Seattle. Rookie Tyjae Spears nearly equaled Henry's playing time against the Texans, logging 33 snaps to Henry's 34. He beat Henry 18-13 in pass routes and took his 9 carries for 30 yards (3.3 per rush). Spears remains just a handcuff for fantasy, though.
Titans HC Mike Vrabel said Monday afternoon that RB Derrick Henry is not in the concussion protocol, contrary to what ESPN's Adam Schefter reported this morning. "We checked on him last night, then checked on him in the morning," Vrabel said. We'll keep an eye on Henry throughout the week, but it sounds like he should be available for next Monday night's game vs. the Dolphins.
Titans RB Derrick Henry has been placed in concussion protocol, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It's the first documented concussion for Henry, and he has an extra day to get cleared with Tennessee playing Miami next Monday night. But he's still more likely than not to miss that game. Henry's absence would leave rookie Tyjae Spears as the Titans' clear lead back -- and a comfortable fantasy starter.
Titans RB Derrick Henry exited in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Colts to get checked for a concussion and did not return. That likely means he's been diagnosed with a concussion, although that hasn't been confirmed by the team. We'll update Henry's status when we know more. His absence would turn RB Tyjae Spears into an easy fantasy starter.
The Titans’ offense was kept in check by the Jaguars in Week 11. QB Will Levis completed 13 of 17 passes for 158 yards with 2 TDs in the contest. The rookie played efficiently, but the Titans only posted a 23:34 time of possession, their second-lowest in 2023. RBs Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears also suffered as a result, tallying a combined 52 rushing yards on 14 carries between them. Fortunately, there should be brighter days ahead of all. The Titans’ remaining schedule ranks seventh-best for QB matchups and fourth-best for RBs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed. It’ll be worth keeping an eye on Levis’ development and continuing to trust Henry as a high-end RB2 in the coming weeks.
Much has been made of Titans QB Will Levis' arm strength -- and for good reason. That's arguably been his biggest selling point since he was a prospect. And we saw it pay off in three long TD passes in Levis' initial start. But his first two outings have also featured the two largest collective target shares all season for Titans RBs. Tennessee targeted RBs on 20.3% of pass attempts over the season's first six games. That has jumped to 26.5% over the past two weeks. We'll see whether things stay that way with more Levis games. But it's at least a help to the opportunity counts for both Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears for now. That can only help Henry in this week's matchup with the Bucs, who have been tougher on RB scoring than on opponent passing games.
Titans RB Derrick Henry posted 22 carries for 101 rushing yards in Week 8’s victory over the Falcons. The veteran also added 4 catches for 21 receiving yards on Sunday. His teammate Tyjae Spears was essentially an afterthought in the contest, tallying 6 total touches for a combined 36 yards. Conflicting reports have swirled regarding whether or not Henry will remain with the Titans following Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Regardless of where he suits up next week, he’ll be a solid fantasy starter. The Titans next play on Thursday night vs. the Steelers.
Titans RB Derrick Henry shined as the lone bright spot in Week 6’s loss vs. the Ravens. The veteran received 12 carries for 97 rushing yards and a TD in the contest. Though his teammate RB Tyjae Spears didn’t cut into the Titans’ rushing workload much this week (4 carries, 15 yards), the rookie led all pass-catchers with 48 receiving yards on Sunday. No other Titan amassed more than 25 yards or exceeded 3 catches. This wasn’t a banner showing for the Tennessee offense, especially with QB Ryan Tannehill being hampered by an ankle issue. Fortunately, they’ll be headed into a bye week in Week 7.
Titans rookie RB Tyjae Spears posted a 7-34-1 rushing line and made 4 receptions for 35 yards in Sunday's loss to the Colts. That combo made him the top-scoring fantasy RB for Tennessee on the day. Derrick Henry beat him in carries with 13 but averaged just 3.3 yards per rush, for 43 yards on the ground total. Henry added 3 receptions for 19 yards on 3 targets. The Titans get a home date in Week 6 with Baltimore, which is likely to enter the game as the favorite. The Ravens entered Week 5 ranked fourth in pass-defense DVOA and sixth against the run. The negative all-around matchup could point to another useful spot for Spears if you need a bye-week fill-in. Tennessee gets its bye in Week 7.
Titans RB Derrick Henry dominated the RB workshare in Week 4 vs. the Bengals. The veteran back recorded 22 carries for 122 yards and 1 rushing TD in a game where his rookie teammate Tyjae Spears saw just 6 attempts. To make matters even better, fantasy managers got a bonus passing TD from Henry off of a trick play at the end of the second quarter. Spears had recently been eating into Henry’s workload and playing a considerable number of snaps, so we’ll see if this is more of a fluke or a trend next week vs. the Colts.
Titans RB Derrick Henry went from a limited practice on Wednesday to no practice on Thursday. He was listed with a toe on Wednesday but toe and rest on Thursday. It looks like he just got today off, but we'll update Henry's status again tomorrow. If he's unable to play vs. the Browns this weekend, rookie Tyjae Spears would become a plug-and-play fantasy starter.
Titans RB Derrick Henry saw 25 carries for 80 yards and 1 TD in Week 2’s win vs. the Chargers. He also roped in 3 of 4 targets for 15 receiving yards in the contest. There’s still a massive gap between Henry’s involvement and the workload of rookie Tyjae Spears (10 touches, 55 total yards). Barring injury or a massive unforeseen shift in offensive philosophy, fantasy managers can once again count on Henry to be a significant contributor in Week 3 vs. the Browns.
Titans RB Derrick Henry assumed his usual role as the clear carry leader in Sunday's loss to the Saints. Henry rushed 15 times (for 63 yards), while rookie Tyjae Spears claimed the other 3 RB carries. Spears picked up 27 yards, including a long gain of 17. He also factored significantly into the receiving game. Spears' 4 targets edged Henry's 3, and the rookie had a fifth negated by a defensive penalty. Spears logged just 1 catch (officially) for 1 yard. Henry caught 2 of 3 looks for 56 yards, delivering the team's longest play with a 46-yard catch-and-run. Spears also notably drew a target on each of Tennessee's first two third-down plays. The rookie has to grow his role further to become a standalone fantasy option, but this was a decent start. Henry gets a better matchup with the Chargers in Week 2.
The Athletic's Joe Rexrode recently wrote that Titans rookie RB Tyjae Spears "is going to matter" to the offense in 2023. Rexrode shares that Spears "will start the season as the third-down back" and perhaps eventually "warrant some carries and pop up in some creative looks" as part of a tandem with starter Derrick Henry. This is a notable read on the Titans' backfield, considering a second RB has yet to make a strong impression in the Henry era. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2018, Henry has led all NFL RBs in carries (1,464) and stayed above a 77.6% share of Titans RB carries in the last four seasons. Fantasy managers should still treat Spears as a handcuff for now, but there's some late-round intrigue should he emerge with a small pass-catching role. Dynasty managers must also remember Henry is set to reach free agency in 2024. See where the Titans' backs appear in our current RB rankings.
Titans insider Jim Wyatt writes that RB Tyjae Spears “was among the team’s offseason standouts.” Wyatt specifically notes the rookie’s “shiftiness and speed.” Those traits certainly showed up on his Tulane tape. Then, Spears confirmed his exciting athleticism at the combine with a 91st-percentile vertical jump and an 87th-percentile broad jump (per MockDraftable). Currently the No. 2 RB behind Derrick Henry, Spears is a late-round handcuff worth circling on your cheat sheet.
It's easy to be wary of Titans RB Derrick Henry in fantasy football. The 29-year-old exceeded 300 carries three of the past four years. The player aging curves that guide our dynasty projections say RBs see a bigger production drop-off at this age than any other position -- even among elite types. It would be quite abnormal for Henry to continue producing strong numbers. But Henry has always been abnormal, even among high-end NFL rushers. More importantly, he didn't show signs of decline last year. Henry actually improved his yards after contact per attempt, elusive rating, and Pro Football Focus rushing grade vs. his 2021 numbers. His rushing yards over expected rebounded from 0.05 per attempt in 2021 to 0.45 last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, despite a weak Tennessee offense and average O-line. Henry also did all of this despite seeing 8+ defenders in the box at the league's second-highest rate among RBs. The Titans drafted RB Tyjae Spears in Round 3 and might push some work his way. But we expect Henry to remain the workhorse in a run-favoring offense with an aging QB and mostly questionable pass catchers. Best of all, Henry's early ADP (late in Round 2, often into Round 3 in best ball drafts) lowers the risk to betting on him in fantasy. See how Henry's spot in our fantasy football rankings compares.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport revealed more information on Titans rookie RB Tyjae Spears' right knee. Spears has torn the ACL in that knee twice, most recently in 2020. A medical check at the Combine revealed "a full thickness cartilage loss and no ACL in his knee. Plus arthritis," Rapoport said. "It is unclear how long he is gonna be able to [play.] Is he gonna be a one-contract guy?" Spears' Round 3 draft capital is a mark in his favor. But the longevity question is especially problematic considering Spears is unlikely to make an immediate fantasy impact behind Derrick Henry this year. He's no better than a Round 2 pick in dynasty rookie drafts.
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