The Titans found a combination that worked in 2019 when Derrick Henry's power running style opened things up for Ryan Tannehill to put together one of the most efficient passing seasons in NFL history. Henry figures to remain the focal point of this offense, but if Tannehill can prove last year was no fluke, A.J. Brown could join Henry to create one of the most devastating RB-WR combinations in the league.
2019 Review
Record: 9 - 7 (11)
PPG: 25.1 (10)
YPG: 362.8 (12)
Pass YPG: 223.9 (21)
Rush YPG: 138.9 (3)
PAPG: 28.0 (31)
RAPG: 27.8 (10)
2019 Fantasy finishes
QB: Ryan Tannehill QB22
RB: Derrick Henry RB5
WR: A.J. Brown WR21, Corey Davis WR64, Adam Humphries WR80, Tajae Sharpe* WR85
TE: Jonnu Smith TE19
*No longer with team
Number to know: 7.3
No offense since the merger has hit 7.0 yards per play over a full season, but the Titans averaged 7.3 across their final seven games after A.J. Brown became a full-time player in Week 10. That is obviously unsustainable, and it's a big reason Tennessee went 5-2 and paced for fewer than 400 passes in that span. Tennessee finished with just 448 pass attempts for the season, their second straight under 450. Those are two of just four sub-450-attempt seasons across the NFL since 2014, and we should expect Tennessee's pass volume to creep up in 2020 even as they will almost certainly remain run-heavy.
2020 Offseason
Draft Picks
1. (29) Isaiah Wilson, OT
2. (61) Kristian Fulton, CB
3. (93) Darrynton Evans, RB
5. (174) Larrell Murchison, DT
7. (224) Cole McDonald, QB
7. (243) Chris Jackson, S
Additions
OLB Vic Beasley
Key Departures
OT Jack Conklin, DT Jurrell Casey, CB Logan Ryan, TE Delanie Walker, QB Marcus Mariota, RB Dion Lewis
Available Opportunity
78 carries, 32 RB targets, 40 WR targets, 31 TE targets
Rankings and Projections
| Player |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Tannehill | QB21 | QB17 | QB21 |
| Derrick Henry | RB11 | RB10 | RB7 |
| Darrynton Evans | RB53 | RB56 | RB58 |
| A.J. Brown | WR17 | WR16 | WR23 |
| Corey Davis | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jonnu Smith | TE13 | TE15 | TE12 |
| Titans DST | DST16 | DST16 | DST14 |
| | Heath Cummings' projections | |
| QB | Ryan Tannehill | 3,952 YD, 26 TD, 12 INT; 247 Rush YD, 2 TD |
| RB | Derrick Henry | 1,504 YD, 13 TD; 21 REC, 203 YD, 2 TD |
| RB | Darrynton Evans | 226 YD, 2 TD; 21 REC, 145 YD, 1 TD |
| WR | A.J. Brown | 114 TAR, 69 REC, 1,074 YD, 8 TD |
| WR | Corey Davis | 89 TAR, 54 REC, 738 YD, 4 TD |
| WR | Adam Humphries | 79 TAR, 55 REC, 575 YD, 0 TD |
| TE | Jonnu Smith | 84 TAR, 63 REC, 737 YD, 5 TD |
Biggest Question
Can the Titans recapture the magic from Ryan Tannehill's stretch as the starter?
Before Tannehill took over as the starter, the Titans averaged 1.8 offensive touchdowns in the season's first six games. From Week 7 on, that number jumped to 3.9, and Tennessee notably made just one field goal in its final seven regular-season games. Most of their pieces are back — except standout right tackle Jack Conklin — but it's hard to see a repeat of that efficiency, and it could chip into Derrick Henry's 16 rushing touchdowns.
One sleeper, one breakout and one bust
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An electric athlete who dominated small-school competition at Appalachian State, Evans is the likely No. 2 behind workhorse Derrick Henry. Henry totaled over 400 touches through the NFL playoffs in 2019 so it's possible he's a higher injury risk or the Titans might try to manage his workload a little more throughout the 2020 season. But apart from handcuff value and change-of-pace duties, Evans should be an option on all-important passing downs. That could mean carving out a useful standalone role with the Titans offense set to regress. A forgotten man among the deep 2020 running back class, Evans is a solid option in his rookie season.
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Brown is a regression candidate whose targets could be capped by team volume concerns, but I've argued for a more holistic view of his potential. They just don't make 'em like Brown, and his rare blend of downfield plus YAC ability should help him maintain plus efficiency throughout his career — and his collegiate production gives us a lengthier track record to back up that assertion. Add in likely regression for the Titans offense leading to more passing volume overall — and no new faces to keep Brown from a dominant No. 1 share of targets — and there's a strong case to be made that a third- or fourth-round price tag is an over-correction by the market for this budding superstar.
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Henry is just different, and it's certainly possible he proves that yet again in 2020. But especially in PPR leagues, the price is extremely rich. Due to a lack of receiving ability, even Henry's monster 2019 was only good enough for an RB5 finish in PPR (RB3 in points per game), yet he's going at RB6 in drafts as of this writing. That 2019 included a league-high 16 rushing touchdowns and 18 total scores in 15 games, the majority of which came after Tannehill took over the offense. Henry averaged 69 rushing yards per game before the quarterback switch, with five scores in six games. After, he scored 13 times in nine games, and averaged 125 rushing yards on an absurd 5.9 yards per carry. That late-season production will be tough to match, especially after the departure of tackle Jack Conklin.
Fantasy Previews
AFC East: Bills | Jets | Patriots | Dolphins
NFC East: Giants | Cowboys | Eagles | Redskins
AFC South: Colts | Texans | Jaguars | Titans
NFC South: Panthers | Bucs | Falcons | Saints
AFC North: Ravens | Steelers | Browns | Bengals
NFC North: Packers | Vikings | Bears | Lions
AFC West: Chiefs | Broncos | Raiders | Chargers
NFC West: Seahawks | 49ers | Rams | Cardinals
So what Fantasy football sleepers should you snatch in your draft? And which WR1 candidate can you wait on until late? Visit SportsLine now to get cheat sheets from the model that was all over Derrick Henry's huge season, and find out.
