Tag: Dontrell Hilliard

Fantasy start or sit Week 14: Julio Jones, Dontrell Hilliard, Ryan Tannehill

Assuming he plays, you can roll the dice on Julio Jones in fantasy football this week.

After enjoying a bye in Week 13, the Tennessee Titans will return to action in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

In Week 12, fantasy managers who deployed quarterback Ryan Tannehill in their lineups saw a putrid performance, as he finished with just 93 passing yards, 24 rushing yards, and one touchdown to one interception.

It was a completely different story for running back Dontrell Hilliard, who finished with a career-high 131 rushing yards, 68 of which came on a single touchdown run.

Wide receiver Julio Jones hasn’t suited up since Week 9, but he could get back on the field in Week 14 after being designated to return from IR and returning to practice on Wednesday.

So, should fantasy football managers be inserting Tannehill, Jones and Hilliard into lineups this week in what is the last game of the regular season for most fantasy leagues?

Find out now as we take a look at some start or sit advice for each.

11 waiver wire targets for fantasy football in Week 13

It’s a big week for the waiver wire in fantasy football. Take a look at these 11 targets!

Now that the Thanksgiving week has passed, fantasy football managers are focused on two things: Making the playoffs or ruining it for the other league mates. This is where the waiver wire comes in handy.

At this point, many of you are already out of the running. That doesn’t mean we can’t wreak havoc and cause chaos within reason, of course. Just because you may be out of the playoff picture doesn’t mean you stop making moves. So if you’re sitting here wondering if you should pick up the backup to an injured starting running back, the answer is an emphatic yes.

Most trade deadlines have passed, which makes the waiver wire even more important. We have four teams on a bye this week in the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns. A lot of news went down over the weekend so there are more options available on the waiver wire.

If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on Twitter (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

Here are 11 players to target on the waiver wire for fantasy football in Week 13:

Titans’ Dontrell Hilliard reacts to career day in loss to Patriots

“It’s motivation is how we’re gonna look at it from this point, just focusing on the things that we’ve done wrong,” Hilliard said of the Titans’ Week 12 loss.

The Tennessee Titans are officially on their much-needed bye week after falling in Foxborough to the New England Patriots on Sunday, 36-13.

With wideouts Julio Jones, A.J. Brown, and Marcus Johnson all on Injured Reserve, quarterback Ryan Tannehill turned in another subpar outing after throwing a career-high four interceptions against Houston last week.

But the duo of D’Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard put up the best rushing performance of the season.

The duo accounted for 240 rushing yards, with Hilliard rushing for 131 on just 12 carries. The undrafted free agent out of Tulane gained a big chunk of those yards on a 68-yard touchdown run with under a minute to play in the first half.

“O-line did a wonderful job of moving guys around [and] creating those lanes for me to get through, I commend them for that, for sure,” he said. “And when I [saw the opening], I just hit it.”

The play itself was pivotal in terms of keeping the Titans in the ballgame. Trailing by 10 points and with New England set to receive the second-half kickoff, Hilliard’s long run gave Tennessee a lot of confidence heading into the locker room.

Unfortunately, the Titans’ offense was shut out in the final two quarters, as mistakes were again the theme of the day.

Tennessee had three penalties called within the first five minutes of the first quarter, followed by kicker Randy Bullock hitting the upright on an extra point and 44-yard field goal attempts.

Before his long touchdown run, Hilliard fumbled inside the New England 35-yard line, which the Patriots converted into three points. And, on the Titans’ first possession of the second half, Foreman fumbled after ripping off a 30-yard run.

The two fumbles were part of the Titans’ four turnovers on the day, coming on the heels of a five-turnover performance against the Texans last week.

“It’s motivation is how we’re gonna look at it from this point, just focusing on the things that we’ve done wrong,” Hilliard concluded. “We look at the “L” as a lesson, so just gonna focus on the things that we didn’t get right and try to focus on those things and get better at it.”

As noted, the Titans are off this week, with Julio Jones eligible to return from IR when the team resumes play against the Jaguars in Week 14.

At least for the time being, the Titans can feel good about their running backs heading into the bye after struggling to replicate Derrick Henry’s dominance during the first three games of his absence.

Titans’ winners and losers from Week 12 loss to Patriots

Even the Titans’ top performers from Week 12 weren’t without blemishes.

An injury-riddled Tennessee Titans team really only did one thing well during its Week 12 loss to the New England Patriots — and even that thing was plagued by mistakes.

Without Derrick Henry, the Titans managed to tally a season-high 270 yards on the ground, with Dontrell Hilliard and D’Onta Foreman combining for 240 of them. Hilliard, who led the way with 131 yards, also found the end zone on a 68-yard touchdown run.

However, both backs also coughed up the football. Hilliard’s fumble led to three points for the Patriots, while Foreman’s was a massive momentum killer at that point in the game.

But those issues paled in comparison to a Titans passing attack that couldn’t get anything going after the first quarter, and a defense that was getting gashed for big plays throughout the contest.

With Week 12 in the books, let’s take a look and see if any Titans qualified as winners after the game, and we’ll also see who gets labeled as a loser or somewhere in between.

What Titans said after Week 12 loss to Patriots

Head coach Mike Vrabel and multiple Titans players admitted the team is looking forward to the bye in Week 13.

The Tennessee Titans will enter their much-needed bye week on a two-game losing streak after losing 36-13 to the New England Patriots in Week 12 at Foxborough.

While the score shows a lopsided contest, the Titans were within one score of their opponent late in the third quarter before the wheels completely came off.

To be honest, the Titans were fortunate to be even that close, as the offense simply couldn’t get much going throughout the contest, and that was on top of Tennessee shooting itself in the foot on numerous occasions.

The Titans will get a rest in Week 13 thanks to the bye, which will give the team time to reset, both physically and mentally, and the hope is that Tennessee can get some players back ahead of Week 14.

One of themes of the postgame press conferences was getting that much-needed break. Here’s a look at what the Titans had to say about that, and everything else pertaining to their Week 12 loss.

Titans’ Week 12 Player of the Game: Dontrell Hilliard

Dontrell Hilliard channeled Derrick Henry with a 68-yard touchdown run in the losing effort on Sunday.

On a day when the Tennessee Titans’ passing attack couldn’t get anything going in the final three quarters, running back Dontrell Hilliard provided a spark, but it wasn’t enough in the 36-13 loss to the New England Patriots.

Hilliard tallied a career-high 131 yards on the ground, leading all Titans backs. He also added a touchdown on a 68-yard scamper in the second quarter that gave the Titans some life in the first half.

However, it wasn’t all good for Hilliard, who lost a fumble in the second quarter, leading to a Patriots field goal.

Tennessee actually had its best game on the ground all season long, as both Hilliard and D’Onta Foreman broke 100 yards en route to a total of 270 on the ground.

But, like Hilliard, Foreman also lost a fumble, which was a real momentum killer with Tennessee driving to take the lead in the third quarter. Foreman’s gaffe came at the end of a 30-yard run, also.

With the loss, the Titans fall to 8-4 on the season and are now off their perch atop the conference. The good news is the Indianapolis Colts also lost, so Tennessee maintains its two-game plus tie-breaker lead in the AFC South.

Tennessee will get a much-needed bye in Week 13 before returning to action in Week 14 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars at home in Nissan Stadium.

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Watch: Titans’ Dontrell Hilliard gets loose for 68-yard TD run vs. Pats

Dontrell Hilliard provided a much-needed spark for the Titans in the second quarter against the Pats.

The Tennessee Titans have been missing the explosive plays on the ground since the injury to Derrick Henry, but they finally got one from one of his replacements, Dontrell Hilliard, in Week 12 versus the New England Patriots.

With the Titans trailing 16-6 and with under one minute left to play in the half, Hilliard exploded through the line and took it to the house for a 68-yard touchdown run, a much-needed shot in the arm for Tennessee’s offense.

It was rapid redemption for Hilliard, who had fumbled on the previous drive, leading to a Patriots field goal.

The score is Hilliard’s first with the Titans, and he’s up to 108 yards on eight carries (13.5 yards per run) at halftime. Tennessee goes into the half down 16-13.

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Dontrell Hilliard runs 68 yards for Titans’ touchdown

Dontrell Hilliard did his best Derrick Henry imitation for the Tennessee Titans

The initials DH and a spot in the Tennessee Titans’ backfield feel like a guarantee for success.

Derrick Henry is the best running back in the NFL. He’s out now due to injury and the Titans turned to another running back with those initals.

The results were similar as Dontrell Hilliard took a handoff from Ryan Tannehill and was off to the races.

The play covered 68 yards for the former Tulane star and brought Tennessee within a field goal after the PAT.

Six points with David Dorey

Friday’s quick look at six fantasy items to know

There are fewer roster changes as we move forward through the season, but there will start to be some in the final weeks of the season when teams review their rosters for the following year. Especially the teams that are lowest in the standings. For this week, here are six items I thinking about heading into Sunday for Week 12.

1.) QB Zach Wilson / Elijah Moore (NYJ) – The Jets placed Joe Flacco and Mike White on the reserve/COVID list, and Zach Wilson starts for the first time since Week 7 when he injured his PCL. He needs to show something more than he did over his first five games. The Jets spun through three quarterbacks over the previous five games, and each had better games than Wilson. Joe Flacco (291 yards, 2 TD), Mike White (405 yards, 3 TD), and even Josh Johnson (317 yards, 3 TD).

In Wilson’s absence, Elijah Moore scored five touchdowns and is currently on a three-game scoring streak. The next two opponents and their ranking versus quarterbacks are the Texans (No. 24) and the Eagles (Mo.27). Wilson was the No.2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He doesn’t have many excuses when literally every replacement quarterback turns in better performances. Having Michael Carter out should prompt even more passing.

2.) RB Rex Burkhead (HOU) – Picking through the bargain bin of the Texans’ backfield doesn’t seem like a profitable move, but the way  running backs continue to drop, the bar is lower for what merits a scrape onto your roster. The Texans are trying new things as their season implodes and they just gave Burkhead 18 carries for 40 yards in the win over the Titans. The only Texan running back with more than 14 carries was Mark Ingram (twice). He’s gone, Scottie Phillips landed on injured reserve, Phillip Lindsay was cut, and the only remaining backs are Burkhead, David Johnson, and Royce Freeman was claimed off waivers two weeks ago but never used.

The Texans play the No. 32 defense versus running backs in the Jets this week and the No. 31 defense in Seattle in Week 14. Burkhead looks like a handful of fantasy points from a waiver wire that’s been stripped in each of the last 11 weeks.

3.) QB Cam Newton (CAR)  – The Panthers’ offense hasn’t met expectations thanks to Sam Darnold and the injury to Christian McCaffrey. Adding Cam Newton in Week 10 helped the win in Arizona, but then his first start was a loss to Washington. But he was one of the better fantasy plays of the day with 46 yards and a score as a rusher, and 189 yards and two touchdowns as a passer. Granted – Washington is one of the lowest-ranked defenses versus quarterbacks, but Newton’s first start since last year was encouraging.

D.J. Moore (5-50, TD) had one of his best fantasy performances of the year, thanks to his first score since Week 4.  Robby Moore was held to five catches for 30 yards, but his six targets were encouraging. The Dolphins are the No. 28 defense and should allow Newton to once again perform well. His usage of Moore and Anderson will be notable.

4.) RB Dontrell Hilliard (TEN) – Grabbed everyone’s attention when he turned in seven carries for 35 yards and eight catches for 47 yards in the loss to the Texans. Hilliard was on the Houston roster last year (9-48) and spent two years in Cleveland. He was a practice squad call-up last week when Jeremy McNichol was out with a concussion, and the Titans wanted fresher legs than Adrian Peterson and D’Onta Foreman.

The Titans released Peterson, and Hilliard was relied on much more than the other two backs last week. How McNichol figures in if he returns from his concussion will likely dig into Hilliard’s workload, but the Titans are considering adding kick returns to Hilliard’s plate. Newly signed Golden Tate may also see special teams work as well. Hilliard faces a very tough Patriots this week, but his role as a receiver should continue. Hilliard has a chance to earn an ongoing roster spot even when Derrick Henry returns, hopefully in the playoffs.

5.) TE  Pat Freiermuth (PIT) – Eric Ebron injured his knee and was reported to likely miss extended time. The rookie Freiermuth stepped up in the last month with four touchdowns and at least four receptions in each game. The Steelers offense is likely to undergo a lot of change next season, but Freiermuth is shifting the scheme to include a tight end and seeing up to nine targets per game. The next two opponents are the Bengals and Ravens and both are below average versus the position. The Steelers have long featured a great set of wideouts, but that looks to be changing.

6.) QB Trey Lance (SF) –  He’s a forgotten man this season despite being the  1.03 pick in the NFL draft. All four of the other first-round quarterbacks are starters. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, and Mac Jones led their respective teams but not Lance. His only start was Week 5 playing in Arizona for a tough debut where he injured his knee.  Jimmy Garoppolo has held onto the job with the 49ers rising back up the standings.  Jimmy G. throws for a couple of scores in all the recent games, so there’s been no need to move on though there were calls for it just a few weeks ago.

The 49ers are still in wild-card contention at 5-5, and they may not bother with starting Lance while they could still see the post-season and Lance is the rawest of those four other first-round picks. What could also come into play is that Garoppolo spent the last  four years with the 49ers. In that time, he lasted more than six games only once. And he’s already had nine starts. Lance showed up last week with three runs for four yards in his first action since Week 5. It’s very rare for a third-overall pick to spend the first season on the sideline.

Titans ST coach: Dontrell Hilliard, Golden Tate will get looks at KR

The Titans are in search of a new kick returner after Marcus Johnson was placed on IR.

With the injury to wide receiver Marcus Johnson, who was placed on IR for a second time, ending his season, the Tennessee Titans must look to a new player to return kicks the rest of the way.

Johnson had been performing fairly well in that area. Over nine returns, the wide receiver was averaging 19.9 yards per, placing him tied for No. 30 in the NFL.

On Wednesday, special teams coach Craig Aukerman indicated that running back Dontrell Hilliard and new wide receiver Golden Tate, who was signed to the practice squad on Tuesday, would both get looks at a spot in which they have experience.

While Tate has plenty of experience in punt returns (111), he doesn’t have a ton with kickoffs specifically. In fact, the 33-year-old has just seven kickoff returns during his 11-year career and hasn’t fielded one since 2017.

Hilliard, who fielded three kick returns for 65 yards (21.67 yards per) in Week 11 against the Houston Texans, actually has more returns than Tate despite playing in seven less seasons. His career average is 23 yards per.

However, the Titans might be wise to keep Hilliard away from returns after he was Tennessee’s best back on Sunday, leading to his promotion to the active roster.

Tennessee’s returner issues don’t just stop at kickoffs, though. In Week 11, wide receiver and punt returner Chester Rogers made a massive blunder, allowing a punt to go off his foot that was recovered by the Texans at Tennessee’s six-yard line, leading to points for Houston.

For now it appears that Rogers, who is the only Titans player to return a punt this year, will keep his job, as Aukerman stated the team still has confidence in him in that role.

The Titans will travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots this Sunday, with kickoff set for noon CT.

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