Joining the Titans is not great for Spears' Fantasy value in Year 1 with Derrick Henry leading the way, but he could immediately carve out a passing-game role as a rookie. We saw last season that when Ryan Tannehill was healthy, the Titans used Dontrell Hilliard as a weapon in the pass game. Hilliard caught two TDs in Week 1 against the Giants and he did it on more than just your typical screen or flare routes. Spears, who racked up 1,586 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns at Tulane last year and 1,052 of those yards came after first contact, can provide an upgrade to Hilliard in that exact role and could be a sneaky late-round dart throw if you play in half or full-point PPR leagues. In rookie-only formats, Spears is worth a pick once the draft moves to Round 2.
It seems like Derrick Henry (head) will play Monday night at Miami after leaving Week 13 against the Colts, but this feels like a bad game script for him with the Dolphins favored by nearly two touchdowns. Enter Spears, who could see a lot of playing time if the Titans are trailing, and the more touches for Spears, the better. We saw that against Indianapolis with 16 carries for 75 yards and four catches for 13 yards on six targets. He won't get that much work if Henry is healthy, but Spears could still be a flex option in deeper leagues in Week 14.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 14 Waiver Priority List
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Initially, Spears was going to be the No. 1 player to add in all leagues after Derrick Henry left Week 13 against the Colts with a head injury. But Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Henry is not in the concussion protocol, which gives him the chance to play in Week 14 at Miami. Still, you'll want to add Spears where available, and I've been mentioning him in this column weekly all season since he could be a lottery ticket if Henry misses any time. We saw Spears' upside against the Colts when he had a season-high 20 total touches (four catches on six targets) and finished with 88 total yards for 12.8 PPR points. If Henry is somehow out against Miami, then Spears would be a No. 2 running back in all leagues, and he's worth adding for 10-15 percent of your FAB.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Could have chance as lead back
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Spears rushed the ball 16 times for 75 yards in Sunday's 31-28 overtime loss to the Colts. He added four receptions on six targets for 13 yards.
Spears played his typical complimentary role for much of the contest, as 13 of his 20 touches came after Derrick Henry (head) was forced to exit. He made a positive impact on the game, as he picked up 20 yards on the Titans' game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter and also accounted for 27 yards on the team's overtime drive that led to a field goal. Spears has been efficient when given opportunity this season, and he could be in line for the lead-back role in Tennessee's Week 14 matchup against Miami if Henry is unable to suit up.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Minimal opportunity in Week 12
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Spears rushed the ball two times for six yards in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Panthers. He added one reception on three targets for one yard.
Spears saw his lowest touch total of the season, and he's now been held under 20 rushing yards in four consecutive games. He's shown explosive ability at various points in his rookie campaign, but with such limited opportunity, his contributions on a weekly basis are unreliable.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Held to 26 yards
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Spears rushed the ball four times for 14 yards in Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Jaguars. He added two receptions (on two targets) for 12 yards.
The entire Titans offense was limited, as they ran only 38 plays. That trickled down to Spears, who saw his lowest touch total since Week 8. While he has shown big-play potential at times in his rookie year, Spears will struggle to produce fantasy-viable stat lines due to the state of the Tennessee offense.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Totals 60 scrimmage yards in loss
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Spears rushed five times for 18 yards and brought in four of five targets for 42 yards in the Titans' 20-6 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Spears duplicated his modest rushing line from a Week 9 loss to the Steelers and gained all but three of his yards on one carry, but he made much more of an impact through the air. The rookie finished with a team-high reception total and was second only to Kyle Philips in receiving yards with a total that qualified as his best single-game figure yet. Spears has now played 77 snaps from scrimmage over the last two games, and it remains to be seen if he'll begin commanding a larger share of the rushing workload at the expense of Derrick Henry in a Week 11 road matchup against the Jaguars.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Nine total touches
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Spears rushed the ball five times for 18 yards in Thursday's 20-16 loss to the Titans. He added four receptions on six targets for four yards.
Spears put up his lowest yardage total since Week 3, though he was on the field for his highest snap rate (60 percent) and also saw the highest target total of his young career. That said, while his overall production is underwhelming, his usage was encouraging. He could continue to see growing usage if the Titans continue to lose and fall out of playoff contention.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Limited by ankle issue
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Spears was listed as limited on Monday's estimated practice report due to an ankle injury, John Glennon of NashvillePost.com reports.
Like Titans starting running back Derrick Henry, Spears had a cap on his reps at Monday's walkthrough due to an ankle concern. With the health of the team's top two backfield options in some flux, it'll be key to keep an eye on the pair Tuesday and Wednesday to see if either player may be in danger of sitting out Thursday at Pittsburgh.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sleeper RBs
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I hope we're not at the point where Derrick Henry is starting to slow down, but he's struggling of late, while Spears is starting to gain momentum. Spears has outscored Henry in PPR points in two of the past three games, and Spears has already played more snaps then Henry in two of five games this season. Spears also has one less rushing touchdown than Henry (2-1). I don't think that's a sign of Henry losing his job by any stretch, but it's clear the Titans want to get Spears on the field. In Week 6, if the Titans are trailing against the Ravens, we could see Spears once again play more than Henry, which puts Spears in play as a flex option in PPR.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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I hope we're not at the point where Derrick Henry is starting to slow down, but he's struggling of late, while Spears is starting to gain momentum. Spears has outscored Henry in PPR points in two of the past three games, and Spears has already played more snaps then Henry in two of five games this season. Spears also has one less rushing touchdown than Henry (2-1). I don't think that's a sign of Henry losing his job by any stretch, but it's clear the Titans want to get Spears on the field. In Week 6, if the Titans are trailing against the Ravens, we could see Spears once again play more than Henry, which puts Spears in play as a flex option in PPR.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Best all-around performance
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Spears recorded 40 yards on five carries in Sunday's 27-3 win over the Bengals. He added three receptions for 18 yards.
Spears tied for a career high with 33 offensive snaps in the Titans' blowout win. That helped him to his most productive performance as a pro and marked the second time he topped 50 total yards across four contests. Derrick Henry continues to lead the backfield, but Spears has shown the ability to be productive and has consistently seen between eight and 10 touches per game.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Struggles in tough matchup
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Spears carried the ball four times for six yards in Sunday's 27-3 loss to the Browns. He added four receptions for three yards.
Spears became the latest victim of the Browns' stifling defense early this season, as he narrowly managed more yards from scrimmage than touches in the game. There were some positives to take away from his role, however, as he was the back on the field for the entirety of a Titans drive just before halftime. The team continues to find ways to work Spears onto the field, though he is still clearly working behind Derrick Henry in the backfield.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Stashes (RB Preview)
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Spears has looked electric and is already playing more than anyone expected. Derrick Henry is a future Hall of Famer, but he's also 29 years old with 1,922 career touches. If Henry breaks down Spears would have top-12 upside.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Works efficiently again
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Spears rushed the ball eight times for 49 yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over the Chargers. He added two receptions (on two targets) for six yards.
Spears saw his relative role in the Titans offense shrink as compared to Week 1, as he managed 10 total touches to Derrick Henry's 28. He showed some explosiveness with his opportunity by tallying long gains of 14 and 11 yards. While clearly the second back on the depth chart, Spears has a role in the offense and should see high single-digit touches on a weekly basis.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Limited at practice Wednesday
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Spears (groin) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday ahead of Sunday's game versus the Chargers, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
The exact nature of the injury he's dealing with isn't known, so it will be worth keeping an eye on Tennessee's Thursday and Friday injury reports for more clarity. If he misses time, Julius Chestnut will be in line to back up Derrick Henry.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sees four targets
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Spears carried the ball three times for 27 yards in Sunday's 16-15 loss to the Saints. He added one reception on four targets for one yard.
Spears was shockingly on the field more than Derrick Henry, as he played on 54 percent of offensive snaps as opposed to Henry's 46 percent clip. Their respective workload did not follow suit, though Spears' involvement in the passing game was noteworthy. The Titans have talked up the rookie's potential since minicamp, and it's clear they'll utilize him in a significant way as a complement to Henry.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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Spears is one of my favorite lottery tickets this season given his role as the No. 2 running back in Tennessee behind Derrick Henry. I hope nothing happens to Henry this season, but he's a 29-year-old running back with a lot of mileage on his body over the past three years. If he were to miss any time then Spears could step in and be a potential starter in all leagues. You'll likely have to be patient with Spears on your bench, but he offers plenty of upside given his cost on Draft Day. Spears is worth adding for at least 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Works ahead of other backs again
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Spears had nine carries for 28 yards and caught two of three targets for 13 yards in Friday's preseason game against New England.
Spears got the start and took three carries for three yards on the opening drive while Ryan Tannehill was at quarterback. The rookie then stayed on to play four drives with Malik Willis, getting the first six carries of the game for Tennessee before Julius Chestnut and Jacques Patrick started mixing in. Spears threw a vicious stiff-arm on one of his runs and further cemented his status as the No. 2 back behind only Derrick Henry heading into his NFL regular-season debut Week 1 at New Orleans.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Showcases explosiveness
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Spears rushed the ball seven times for 57 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 24-16 preseason over the Vikings.
Spears was the first back on the field and played three offensive possessions with Derrick Henry sitting out. He ended his appearance in style by ripping off a 33-yard touchdown, during which he hurdled a defender near the line of scrimmage before showcasing breakaway speed to find the corner of the end zone. Spears will enter the season as the backup to Derrick Henry but should offer big-play ability as a change-of-pace back.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Joins Tennessee's backfield
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The Titans selected Spears in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 81st overall.
Spears put himself on the map with an incredible 2022 season highlighted by 1,581 yards and 19 touchdowns on 229 carries. He continued to build momentum with an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl. Things halted a bit when he checked in light at the combine at 5-foot-9 and 201 pounds, and he ran just a 4.52 in the 40 at the Tulane Pro Day. Derrick Henry will continue to be the workhorse as long as he's in Tennessee, and Spears didn't show the pass-catching ability at Tulane to be a lock to force his way into a third-down role, either. Spears can work his way onto the fantasy radar in time, but his rookie-year prospects are less than ideal.
