Tyjae Spears High Ankle Sprain Makes Tony Pollard More Attractive (Updated)

What They're Saying

UPDATE -- ESPN's Adam Schefter: "Spears is expected to be out a few weeks due to his sprained ankle, per HC Brian Callahan. It means that Spears' preseason is over and the team will hope to have him back by the start of the regular season."

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

A high ankle sprain is nearly always a multi-week injury. The severity of Spears' injury could determine if he's ready for the start of the season or inhibited into September. Of course, we've also seen plenty of players remain limited in their performance even after returning.

RB Tony Pollard would obviously gain upside for any regular-season time that Spears misses, or even any games that find Spears limited.

Pollard commanded the clear backfield lead in Tennessee last year, despite preseason indications from HC Brian Callahan that he expected to split the work a bit more.

Pollard's four games with no Spears, in particular, found him averaging this rushing line:

• 22 carries
• 100.5 yards
• 0.25 TDs

Plus 2.75 receptions and 15.75 yards per contest.

Pollard carries more upside than risk at his high-RB3 ADP.

Spears will likely remain a fine bench stash, especially with this injury likely to push his ADP further into the double-digit rounds.

Injury History

This injury already seems more significant than the ankle sprain Spears sustained in Week 2 last years. That issue cost him no further games. Spears did lose three other contests to a hamstring injury, though, plus two others to separate concussions.