Tag: Tony Pollard

Fantasy football: Where to draft Tennessee Titans RB Tony Pollard

Analyzing Tennessee Titans RB Tony Pollard’s 2024 fantasy football ADP and where to target him in fantasy drafts.

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Tennessee Titans RB Tony Pollard has been impressive since exploding onto the scene in 2022 when he rushed for 1,007 yards in his 3rd NFL season. Pollard joined the Titans this offseason after 5 campaigns with the Dallas Cowboys, who made him the 128th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Below, we look at Tony Pollard’s 2024 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Pollard has rushed for 1,000-plus yards in 2 straight seasons and was a Pro Bowler in 2022. The Memphis product is expected to take a big step in his development as he is projected to be the main contributor in the Titans offense. Pollard could be a top-10 fantasy running back this upcoming season. The versatile running back is intriguing in terms of fantasy value.

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Tony Pollard’s ADP: 71.56

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Pollard’s 71.56 ADP in redraft leagues puts him in the range of the 6th to 9th round depending on the size of the league. He has the best ADP among his teammates — WR Calvin Ridley is next at 75.64.

Among running backs, Pollard’s ADP puts him 26th at the position, behind Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris (66.71) and Miami’s Raheem Mostert (64.74) and ahead of Denver’s Javonte Williams (73.43) and the Giants’ Devin Singletary (82.08).

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Tony Pollard’s 2023-24 stats

Games: 17

Carries | rushing yards: 252 | 1,005

Rushing touchdowns: 6

Receptions | receiving yards: 55 | 311

Receiving touchdowns: 0

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Where should you draft Pollard?

Pollard’s fantasy value should get a boost given he’s going to be the main weapon in the Titans offense. The question regarding his potential production is: How good will the Titans be at sustaining drives?

Pollard has shown he can be productive, running for more than 5 yards per attempt in 3 of his 5 NFL seasons. He also can be used as a receiving threat, having totaled 39 or more catches in his last 3 seasons. However, Titans QB Will Levis completed less than 60% of his attempts last season. Much of Pollard’s value may hang on Levis’ shoulders.

Pollard should be the main running back option and could see a sizable amount of the targets as well. He’s capable of producing 1,100 rushing yards and numerous scores while also being a strong receiving weapon. Pollard should be a high-usage player and has the upside to be a top-10 fantasy RB this season.

Draft Pollard slightly higher than his ADP given his potential workout in the offense. If the Titans offense can figure things out, he could see north of 1,000 rushing yards with 50 receptions and 8 or more touchdowns as well. That potential is worth targeting, especially in PPR formats. The last 6th to late 7th round should be the hot spot for Pollard.

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Where do post-Derrick Henry Titans rank in latest running back power rankings?

The Tennessee Titans no longer have Derrick Henry, so where does their running back group rank among the rest of the league?

The Tennessee Titans will embark on the 2024 season with a new-look offense under head coach Brian Callahan.

With Will Levis under center and a solid group of receivers, the passing game looks set to improve upon 2023. The question is, with Derrick Henry now in Baltimore, how will the running game look?

Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team believes the Titans will start the season in the top half of the league in his running back power rankings.

12. Tennessee Titans

The Derrick Henry era is officially over in Tennessee, but that doesn’t mean the Titans aren’t talented at running back.

Tony Pollard was signed this offseason, and he appears to be fully healthy again. He’ll be paired up with Tyjae Spears, giving them one of the most explosive backfields in the league.

Free agent acquisition Tony Pollard should team up with breakout candidate Tyjae Spears, giving the Titans a dynamic backfield tandem.

Pollard appears healthy and poised to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the third consecutive season after coming over from the Dallas Cowboys. Spears, who is coming off a solid rookie campaign, looks to build upon his performance last season by adding an explosive weapon both on the ground and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

With weapons in both the running and passing game, it will be up to the offensive line to be solid. If they are, this running back stable could surpass the No. 12 preseason ranking given to them by The 33rd Team and help power the Titans offense toward a successful season.

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Titans’ Tyjae Spears named among five emerging running backs

Tennessee Titans RB Tyjae Spears continues to pick up preseason recognition, this time being listed among emerging running backs.

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears continues to be recognized by various media outlets entering his second season. The 23-year-old has been pegged by many as a potential breakout player for the upcoming 2024 NFL campaign.

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports was the latest to list Spears among the five young running backs who are talented enough to be valuable contributors.

Here was part of his analysis:

Spears has supreme lateral cutting skill even by NFL standards, plenty of burst off the snap and contact balance is clearly part of what he brings to the field. He’s also caught 52 passes a season ago — 11th most in football — and forced the second-most missed tackles on those receptions. Massive potential for this former Tulane superstar, who’s always looked like one of the most athletically gifted players in any game in which he’s participated.

With Derrick Henry no longer roaming the backfield, touches are certainly up for grabs. Spears will start the season splitting time with free-agent signing Tony Pollard, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive season in 2023.

As alluded to, Spears rushed for 453 yards on 100 carries in a defined backup role last season. However, the former third-round pick, who rushed for nearly 1,600 yards as a junior at Tulane, is expected to be utilized more in a feature-back-type role, both as a runner and pass-catcher out of the backfield.

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One thing to watch in Titans vs. Seahawks preseason game

The Titans starters won’t play on Saturday against the Seahawks, but there’s still one thing to watch for in the second preseason game.

Week 2 of the preseason started on Thursday with the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory over the New England Patriots. The Tennessee Titans face the Seattle Seahawks on the road on Saturday and have just one more game to solidify their team before the regular season starts.

This week, the Titans are focused on their bubble players, trying to make sense of who stays and who goes when they finalize their 53-man roster. It’s the midpoint of the preseason, and this game matters most to those jockeying for a spot on the team. According to CBS Sports, here’s the one thing to watch for in Week 2:

The Tony Pollard-Tyjae Spears RB duo: In the post Derrick Henry era, the committee of Pollard and Spears produced excellent results — at least for one game so far. Spears scored a touchdown in the preseason opener and Pollard pulled off a 24-yard run in a strong night for the Titans offense, as the duo combined for seven carries for 37 yards.

The Titans offense will look different with the slinging Will Levis, but Pollard and Spears may be the glue toward making the passing game efficient. We’ll see how much either play with Seattle and Tennessee having joint practice this week.

The thing is, it’s unlikely Pollard plays at all since Brian Callahan already said the starters weren’t playing. Spears will see the field, at least a little bit, because he’s a rookie and needs the reps. But his position on the team is not in jeopardy at this point. Still, with Malik Willis at the helm, it’s possible the run game gets a workout this weekend. Even if neither of these backs plays, seeing who else steps up is a good reason to watch.

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Do Titans have one of the best RB-WR-WR trios in the NFL?

CBS Sports recently ranked the top RB-WR-WR trios in the NFL and the Tennessee Titans were among those who made the cut.

This offseason saw big changes for the Tennessee Titans, especially at the skill positions. While they decided to let Derrick Henry depart in free agency, they replaced him the Tony Pollard and added a big-name receiver in Calvin Ridley.

The move away from Henry should make the Titans more balanced headed into Will Levis’ sophomore season.

CBS Sports recently ranked the running back-wide receiver-wide receiver trios across the league and the Titans checked in at No. 10 overall with a trio of Tony Pollard, DeAndre Hopkins, and Calvin Ridley.

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Ironically, the Titans, Chicago Bears, and Houston Texans all acquired two of their three players at some point this offseason.

Obviously, there are major question marks regarding which version of Tony Pollard the Titans will be getting. However, if he plays anywhere close to the level he was playing at two years ago, the Titans are in for a top-15 running back in the league.

Adding Ridley to the mix is a huge upgrade for the Titans as they move Treylon Burks down on the depth chart. The combination of Ridley and Hopkins could certainly be one that does damage in 2024.

The ranking of the Titans’ trio doesn’t necessarily mean that the offense will improve in 2024. However, they have set up Levis to succeed in the TItans’ offense this season.

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Titans RB Tyjae Spears named a fantasy football breakout player for 2024

Can Tyjae Spears be a fantasy breakout star in 2024?

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.

WATCH: Titans RB Tyjae Spears making people miss in training camp

Tyjae Spears had a big day on Thursday.

The Tennessee Titans hit the reset button on their backfield in 2024. Tennessee made the difficult choice to let franchise legend and future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry walk. Of course, with a new coaching staff and a change in philosophy, it made sense.

Gone were Mike Vrabel, Henry, and the run-first offense. In were new head coach Brian Callahan, running back Tony Pollard, and wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd. The Titans also signed center Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency and used a top-10 pick on offensive tackle JC Latham.

With all of those changes, it was easy to forget that Tyjae Spears was back. The second-year running back showed enough last season to excite general manager Ran Carthon about the future of the Titans’ backfield.

During Thursday’s practice, Spears was showing off his moves, making defenders miss on his way into the end zone. It happened twice.

Here’s one of those runs:

The Titans released their depth chart earlier this week, and Spears and Pollard were both listed as RB1.

Tennessee opens the preseason on Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers.

WATCH: Titans QB Will Levis throws a dime to RB Tony Pollard

Will Levis and Tony Pollard connect for a big play on Day 3 of training camp.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis is having a strong start to his second NFL training camp. Every move the Titans made this offseason, from head coach Brian Callahan to adding multiple talented playmakers on offense, was with Levis in mind.

One of those new weapons is running back Tony Pollard. The sixth-year running back is a Tennessee native and returned home this offseason, signing a three-year, $21.5 million contract with the Titans in March.

Pollard went over 1,000 yards rushing in each of his final two seasons with the Cowboys. But, in Tennessee, he could have a chance to use his skills as a receiver more. Pollard did catch a career-high 55 passes in 2023.

During Day 3 of Titans’ training camp on Saturday, fans got to see a sample of Levis throwing the ball to Pollard. And this was not a dump-off either.

Check it out:

What a throw from Levis. This tells us two things: Pollard will be a legitimate threat out of the backfield this season, and Callahan will be aggressive.

Titans waive promising UDFA running back

Titans waive promising young running back.

Prior to Day 2 of training camp on Thursday, the Tennessee Titans waived running back Dillon Johnson, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. The move was made in advance of the team signing center Corey Levin and linebacker Shane Ray.

Johnson, who signed as an undrafted free agent in late April, was considered a dark horse candidate to make the Titans’ Week 1 roster. The 23-year-old had a breakout year at Washington last year after spending his first three collegiate seasons at Mississippi State.

Johnson rushed for 1,195 yards, which was the second-most in the Pac-12, on 233 carries and crossed the goal line 16 times. He also hauled in 24 catches for 190 yards out of the backfield.

With Johnson no longer in the mix, the Titans’ running back room has a bit more clarity. Tennessee will utilize a 1-2 punch of Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard. The competition for the third running back spot appears to be down to three candidates: Julius Chestnut, Hassan Haskins, and Jabari Small.

Chestnut has been with the Titans for the last two seasons after initially signing as an undrafted free agent in 2022. The 23-year-old rushed for 12 yards on nine carries in six games as a rookie. His season was cut short last year in Week 3 with a hamstring injury.

Haskins, drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft, missed all of last season after being placed on injured reserve in late August.

Small joined the team as an undrafted free agent after amassing 2,122 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Titans’ RB Tyjae Spears not pressing despite splitting time with Pollard

Tyjae Spears remaining patient ahead of the 2024 season.

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears knows the opportunity he has in front of him. After serving in a backup capacity to Derrick Henry as a rookie last season, the 23-year-old is in line for an increased workload this year.

However, the addition of Tony Pollard and his three-year, $21.750 million contract comes with a starting running-back implication. Head coach Brian Callahan stated that he does not view either player as the “starting” running back. Rather, Spears and Pollard will split time.

What that means and what that looks like is yet to be determined, but one thing is for sure: there will be increased pressure to perform in a limited viewing leading up to the start of the 2024 NFL season. That can often result in players pressing to try to force something to happen.

However, Spears understands that he needs to exercise patience when it’s his turn.

“You can’t press it,” Spears said via John Glennon of the Nashville Post. “What I mean by pressing is that you can’t (makes a tensing noise). When you do get your opportunity, you don’t want to be (makes a tensing noise). You want to be calm; you want to be in the moment.

“I was just saying that today. I was like, ‘Man, run your running style and don’t let anybody dictate it because they’re on the other side of the defense. They’re going to do what they’re going to do, and we have to react off what they do.'”

Spears had a strong showing in a secondary role last year. The Tulane standout rushed for 453 yards on 100 carries and scored two touchdowns while playing in 17 games, including one start. Added, Spears was an asset in the passing game, hauling in 52 catches for 385 yards and one touchdown out of the backfield.

Pollard brings a similar skill set, coming over from the Dallas Cowboys. The 2023 season marked the 27-year-old’s first as the lead back. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive year and caught 55 balls for 311 yards.

Both players figure to be key elements in the Titans’ pass-first offense, and their roles will likely sort themselves out as the preseason schedule unfolds.