Other than being Derrick Henry’s handcuff, will Tennessee Titans third-round pick Darrynton Evans have standalone fantasy football value in 2020?
When asked to pick a 2020 NFL Draft selection from the second round and beyond that could have surprise fantasy value this season, ESPN’s Field Yates named Evans as his choice.
The Titans are going to rely heavily upon Derrick Henry, but Evans is a unique change-of-pace option. In situations where Tennessee needs to pick up the pace, Evans should see a role.
Let’s take a closer look and see if Evans is in the right situation to be more than just a handcuff.
There’s precedent
In 2018, the Titans sported two fantasy-relevant running backs in Henry and Dion Lewis, as the pair finished as RB16 and RB28 in PPR (points-per-reception) leagues, per Fantasy Pros, and that was with Lewis’ role diminishing as the season went along.
That went by the wayside in 2019, but a lot of that had to do with Lewis simply being ineffective when given opportunities, which led to him being phased out of the offense almost completely.
Trust me, the Titans tried all they could to include Lewis before giving up on him to the point where fans were ripping the hair out of their heads, so that wasn’t just about Henry soaking up all the work.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Titans sport two fantasy-relevant running backs once again in 2020. As we’ve seen, there’s precedent for it thanks to the Titans’ run-heavy approach.
Is Evans a lock to be the No. 2?
Of course, before Evans can be considered as the main man to spell Henry, he’ll have to seize the No. 2 job in training camp.
Thankfully, he doesn’t have much in the way of competition for it right now, and it’s doubtful the Titans drafted him as early as they did to make him part of a committee behind Henry.
It would take a colossal failure on Evans’ part to not end up as the main backup who commands the snaps whenever Henry isn’t on the field.
On a side note: Evans is also expected to contribute at least a bit in the return game after being an electric returner in college, so he has added home-run appeal as a guy who could contribute a return touchdown at some point.
Is there enough touches behind Henry?
As we’ve already stated, the Titans have a run-heavy offense that can provide plenty of opportunities to multiple backs.
After a season in which he led the NFL in carries, partly because his backup option was ineffective, the Titans might look to at least somewhat lessen Henry’s workload in 2020.
If that does happen, Evans will be the biggest beneficiary as long as he can prove to be more effective with the ball in his hands than Lewis was and isn’t a liability in pass protection.
Despite all his issues, Lewis still averaged 3.3 carries per contest last season, so it’s reasonable to expect Evans will see at least a handful per game if he doesn’t have issues — and those carries will be behind an elite run-blocking offensive line.
And, thanks to his impressive 4.41 40-yard dash speed, Evans is explosive enough to make a significant impact with limited opportunities on the ground, especially behind a group upfront that routinely paved the way for Henry to rip off big gains in 2019.
On the surface, that doesn’t seem like a lot to hang your hat on when trying to argue that Evans could crack your starting lineup some weeks, but that isn’t the only part of the Titans’ offense he’s expected to impact.
With Henry’s shaky history as a pass-catcher, the Appalachian State product could also see a solid amount of work in the passing game, especially against teams with a stingy run defense that forces Tennessee to utilize its backs in the screen game more.
Now, the Titans’ screen game was a mess for much of 2019, but things steadily improved as the season went along. As a result, I’d expect the Titans to go back to using screens in 2020.
Evans didn’t see a ton of action as a pass-catcher out of the backfield in college with just 33 receptions in his last two seasons, however he did average an impressive 9.4 yards per reception and displayed good hands in his last year at Appalachian State.
If he can prove to have the chops in the passing game at the next level and the offensive line can continue to build on its strong 2019 finish in regard to blocking for screens, Evans could realistically see around 10 touches per game, which would be pretty good for a handcuff.
The verdict
Evans will have some FLEX appeal — particularly in deeper PPR leagues — thanks to being on a run-heavy team that could use him as the primary pass-catcher out of the backfield. This helps give him more value than most handcuffs can offer.
If you’re expecting Evans to be a weekly contributor with Henry healthy, you’ll be disappointed. This is going to be a situation in which you have to pick your spots.
The most ideal scenarios in which you’d insert him into your lineup will be in games where the Titans are expected to win big and run out the clock, or are facing a tough run defense.
At the very least, it’s worth rostering Evans as a handcuff to Henry, and he is an intriguing option as a standalone stash in dynasty formats with the Alabama product playing out the season on the franchise tag.
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