The Tennessee Titans signed veteran running back Tony Pollard in the offseason, confusing some fans who wanted to see Tyjae Spears be the lead back.
The 23-year-old Spears was a third-round pick in 2023 and was franchise legend Derrick Henry’s primary backup. Spears is a much different type of player than Henry, though.
Tennessee’s coaching change this offseason made things even more confusing. The Titans replaced Mike Vrabel with Brian Callahan. So, did Callahan prefer Pollard over Spears?
No, not at all. On Tennessee’s first depth chart of the season, Pollard and Spears were essentially listed as 1a and 1b. Both will be heavily featured for the Titans this fall.
However, if you’re a fantasy football fan, one stands out more than the other: Spears.
Jamey Eisenberg of CBS Sports recently named several potential fantasy breakout players in 2024 who can help you win your league. Spears was one of 12 NFL players named.
The message this entire offseason and training camp from the Titans has been that Spears and Tony Pollard will share touches. It goes back to Brian Callahan telling me at the NFL owner’s meeting in March that Pollard and Spears are a “pretty formidable 1-2 punch.” But Callahan wouldn’t say if one will get significantly more touches than the other, so it’s somewhat of a guessing game how this will unfold. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Spears is the better of the two, and he’s cheaper with an ADP of 102.8 compared to Pollard at 78.1. As a rookie in 2023, Spears only had seven games with at least 10 total touches, but he scored at least 11.7 PPR points in four of those outings. He did well as a receiver out of the backfield and was one of just 14 running backs in 2023 with at least 50 receptions (52 catches for 385 yards and a touchdown on 70 targets). If Spears remains in the pass-catching role that gives him value even as a flex if he’s the backup to Pollard early in the year. And if Pollard were to miss time due to an injury then Spears could be a star. I want plenty of shares of Spears, especially at his current ADP.
It’s always tough to draft a running back high in a fantasy draft when a timeshare is involved. But Spears is the most talented back on the roster. He and Pollard have similar skills, but if all things are fair, it’s difficult to see Pollard getting more touches than Spears in 2024.
Some fantasy owners could be afraid to draft either Tennessee back early, meaning Spears could be a bargain.