Titans RB Derrick Henry assumed his usual role as the clear carry leader in Sunday's loss to the Saints. Henry rushed 15 times (for 63 yards), while rookie Tyjae Spears claimed the other 3 RB carries. Spears picked up 27 yards, including a long gain of 17. He also factored significantly into the receiving game. Spears' 4 targets edged Henry's 3, and the rookie had a fifth negated by a defensive penalty. Spears logged just 1 catch (officially) for 1 yard. Henry caught 2 of 3 looks for 56 yards, delivering the team's longest play with a 46-yard catch-and-run. Spears also notably drew a target on each of Tennessee's first two third-down plays. The rookie has to grow his role further to become a standalone fantasy option, but this was a decent start. Henry gets a better matchup with the Chargers in Week 2.
The Athletic's Joe Rexrode recently wrote that Titans rookie RB Tyjae Spears "is going to matter" to the offense in 2023. Rexrode shares that Spears "will start the season as the third-down back" and perhaps eventually "warrant some carries and pop up in some creative looks" as part of a tandem with starter Derrick Henry. This is a notable read on the Titans' backfield, considering a second RB has yet to make a strong impression in the Henry era. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2018, Henry has led all NFL RBs in carries (1,464) and stayed above a 77.6% share of Titans RB carries in the last four seasons. Fantasy managers should still treat Spears as a handcuff for now, but there's some late-round intrigue should he emerge with a small pass-catching role. Dynasty managers must also remember Henry is set to reach free agency in 2024. See where the Titans' backs appear in our current RB rankings.
Titans insider Jim Wyatt writes that RB Tyjae Spears “was among the team’s offseason standouts.” Wyatt specifically notes the rookie’s “shiftiness and speed.” Those traits certainly showed up on his Tulane tape. Then, Spears confirmed his exciting athleticism at the combine with a 91st-percentile vertical jump and an 87th-percentile broad jump (per MockDraftable). Currently the No. 2 RB behind Derrick Henry, Spears is a late-round handcuff worth circling on your cheat sheet.
It's easy to be wary of Titans RB Derrick Henry in fantasy football. The 29-year-old exceeded 300 carries three of the past four years. The player aging curves that guide our dynasty projections say RBs see a bigger production drop-off at this age than any other position -- even among elite types. It would be quite abnormal for Henry to continue producing strong numbers. But Henry has always been abnormal, even among high-end NFL rushers. More importantly, he didn't show signs of decline last year. Henry actually improved his yards after contact per attempt, elusive rating, and Pro Football Focus rushing grade vs. his 2021 numbers. His rushing yards over expected rebounded from 0.05 per attempt in 2021 to 0.45 last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, despite a weak Tennessee offense and average O-line. Henry also did all of this despite seeing 8+ defenders in the box at the league's second-highest rate among RBs. The Titans drafted RB Tyjae Spears in Round 3 and might push some work his way. But we expect Henry to remain the workhorse in a run-favoring offense with an aging QB and mostly questionable pass catchers. Best of all, Henry's early ADP (late in Round 2, often into Round 3 in best ball drafts) lowers the risk to betting on him in fantasy. See how Henry's spot in our fantasy football rankings compares.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport revealed more information on Titans rookie RB Tyjae Spears' right knee. Spears has torn the ACL in that knee twice, most recently in 2020. A medical check at the Combine revealed "a full thickness cartilage loss and no ACL in his knee. Plus arthritis," Rapoport said. "It is unclear how long he is gonna be able to [play.] Is he gonna be a one-contract guy?" Spears' Round 3 draft capital is a mark in his favor. But the longevity question is especially problematic considering Spears is unlikely to make an immediate fantasy impact behind Derrick Henry this year. He's no better than a Round 2 pick in dynasty rookie drafts.
Titans GM Ran Carthon says RB Tyjae Spears is a three-down RB, according to John Glennon of the Nashville Post. We're not taking this to mean Spears will get workhorse usage. But it does indicate the team can see him fitting any situation. We'll see whether RB Derrick Henry remains on the team when the 2023 season begins. As it is, there's at least 2024 upside to Spears.
The Titans selected Tulane RB Tyjae Spears in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Spears is the small-school darling of this 2023 class. He put up monster numbers over his last two seasons at Tulane, including a total of 1,837 scrimmage yards that ranked 4th in the NCAA in 2022. He wasn’t a highly regarded high school recruit and didn’t do much early in his career due to an ACL tear in 2020. He even considered quitting the team and going home during the rehab process. But Spears persevered. He’s an incredibly flexible athlete with great elusiveness and long speed. One of the dangers with Spears is his frame (5’10, 201 pounds), especially given how skinny his legs are and his injury history. That said, it seems likely his pass-catching skills will get him on the field in Tennessee. That’ll be his main role for 2023, assuming Derrick Henry sticks around. Spears has the talent to emerge as Tennessee’s lead back come 2024.
Though Tulane RB Tyjae Spears chose not to participate in the 40-yard dash at Sunday’s NFL Combine, he had a great day running through drills. Spears displayed his receiving skills and sudden cuts and solidified his status as an intriguing upside prospect. We’re excited to dig more into Spears in our upcoming Dynasty Fantasy Football Value series, previewing the entire 2023 rookie class.
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