The Tennessee Titans are making some big changes this week. After finally benching quarterback Will Levis, the Titans will start former Steelers signal-caller Mason Rudolph on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
They might also make a running back change, although this time not by choice. Veteran Tony Pollard ($6,600 Millionaire) appeared in a season-low 44% of offensive snaps last week against the Cincinnati Bengals while dealing with an ankle injury, and he has been held out of practice all week. If he does not play on Sunday, second-year back Tyjae Spears ($4,900) will likely get the bulk of the workload. Spears’ low price tag makes him an appealing option in DraftKings DFS contests like NFL $2.5 Million Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st].
Spears didn’t make a huge impact in the rushing game last Sunday with Pollard limited, taking four carries for five yards and a score, but he was a major factor in the passing game, pulling in six catches for 87 yards and an additional score. He was especially effective in the quarter and a half after Levis’ benching, as all but four of his receiving yards came with Rudolph at signal-caller.
I don’t expect the quarterback change to massively affect Spears’ fantasy potential. Levis has much more raw arm talent than Rudolph, but their stats with Tennessee this season are remarkably similar. If anything, Spears will probably benefit slightly from Rudolph starting; overall, the Titans have called passing plays on 57.0% of offensive snaps, but that number dropped to 51.3% in Rudolph’s three starts earlier this season.
Spears also has a favorable matchup on Sunday against an Indianapolis Colts defense that has allowed 1,983 rushing yards this season, the third-most in football. Indianapolis has also allowed 14 touchdowns on the ground, tied with the New York Giants for the 12th-most in football. Spears should have no problem moving the chains either, as the Colts have conceded 111 first downs on the ground so far, more than all but three teams. Expect Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan to lean on his ground game a lot against Indianapolis’ above-average secondary.
Expecting Spears to score two touchdowns like he did last week is probably too much to ask for, but if you’re looking for a cheap player who will put return good value for his price, he seems like a safe bet if Pollard does not play.
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