Following last week’s 26-0 shutout in Houston, the Titans are in desperate need of a spark on offense. Fortunately for Tennessee, help could be on the way. Tyjae Spears will be activated off of the injured list on Sunday. That means the running back will make his season debut vs. Arizona this weekend.
On an otherwise unimpressive offense, will Spears be able to produce out of the gates? Can the third-year pro eat into starter Tony Pollard’s workload? Here’s what to expect from Spears against the Cardinals in Week 5.
Tyjae Spears fantasy football outlook
Prior to suffering a preseason ankle injury, Spears was poised to play a big role for Tennessee. In his absence, the Titans currently rank 31st in the NFL with 210.5 yards of offense per game. Only the Joe Burrow-less Bengals have been worse on that side of the ball. In addition, the team has rushed for 87.0 yards per game. That’s the fifth-worst mark in football.
Health has been a factor throughout the 24-year-old’s brief professional career. Last season, he only suited up for 12 games. During that time, Spears recorded 536 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. Considering how dismal Tennessee’s Will Levis-led offense was, those stats were fairly impressive as an RB2.
Entering 2025, there was hope that rookie quarterback Cam Ward could elevate this Titans scoring attack. So far, that hasn’t been the case. The first overall pick, while talented, has had difficulty adjusting to the NFL. That was on full display during last Sunday’s drubbing against the Texans.
Will Spears be enough to help the Titans earn their first win? Probably not, especially against a capable Cardinals run defense. Arizona has surrendered 4.0 yards per carry, the league’s tenth-lowest mark. However, the team has allowed the fifth-most receptions (23) and seventh-most rushing yards (186) to opposing running backs.
Those numbers should give Spears’ fantasy managers some reason for optimism. If Tennessee trails once again, the Tulane alum could emerge as the go-to guy in pass-heavy, two-minute drill situations. He’s averaged nearly three catches per game throughout his career. That was with worse talent than Ward under center, as well. If the Cardinals manage to stifle Pollard on the ground, the Titans might pivot towards a pass-first approach.
In theory, it’s probably not ideal to already consider starting Spears. However, for those in leagues of 14+ teams or more, he might make sense. Regardless, the speedster needs to be rostered ASAP by fantasy managers. The 28-year-old Pollard, while solid, isn’t a part of Tennessee’s future going forward. It’s only a matter of time until the rebuilding Titans give Spears a closer look. Who knows, his trial run as a starter might begin on Sunday afternoon…
