For a team that had finished first or second in the AFC South for seven years straight, 2023 was a tough step back. They finished 6-11, last in the division, and the offense sputtered to a bottom-ten finish in scoring and many passing categories. In most statistics, the normally stout defense took a step back but was still middle of the league.
Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill are gone, and Brian Callahan has replaced long-time coach Mike Vrabel. He comes from the Bengals and is a young, bright offensive mind who will usher in a new offensive attack.
The team attacked the trenches in the Draft. Through free agency, they addressed many key needs, and the Titans have a rebuilt team that should bring them back into contention. If, and this is key, the quarterback position is not a hindrance.
Quarterbacks
Will Levis
Now that we have a defined starter, what will Levis do with the job? I will lead this off by saying I think he will fail, and I have almost zero faith in Levis. I will not own any shares. But I must look at this through a projection lens and with an optimistic spin. As an analyst with a player, I always hope they will succeed, and I never want anyone to fail.
Levis threw for 1,808 yards, eight TDs, and four INTs in nine starts as a rookie, with a 58.4% completion rate. He also rushed for 57 yards and a score. He led the Titans to a win over the Falcons in his debut, throwing for four scores and 238 yards. Unfortunately, his games were far more pedestrian after that beautiful debut. They won against Miami as Levis threw for over 300 yards and were competitive in all but two of his starts.
Why did I not like Levis? As a prospect, he’s got ideal size, athleticism, and a strong arm that could make any throw in the NFL. He’s a tough player and incredibly competitive. I wanted to see more consistency and pushing the ball downfield. His ball placement was sporadic, and he often missed easy, wide-open throws. Plus, he likes mayonnaise in his coffee – I just can’t trust a man who does that!
That’s silly, and obviously, it doesn’t affect his character as a player. Levis will need to be more consistent and increase his completion percentage. With the team addressing many needs, Levis will be given a competitive offensive unit to lead and has a brilliant mind as head coach. What he does with all of this is now on his shoulders.
Projection: 61% Completion, 3,650 yards, 22 TDs, 12 INTs, 125 rushing yards, four rushing TDs
The Backups
Owning a backup with a player like Levis at the helm is critical, but I don’t love the backups in Tennessee. If Mason Rudolph or Malik Willis are forced into action, I’m not touching them for fantasy, and each will likely not be worth much. Each should be on a SuperFlex roster, but deep down, and pray you never need to rely on them.
Running Backs
Tony Pollard
Pollard finally had a backfield to himself in 2023 after rushing for 1,000 yards in 2022 alongside Ezekiel Elliott. He ran for 1,000 yards again in 2023, with 55 receptions, and Dallas couldn’t/didn’t want to reward Pollard’s production, so he now finds himself as the lead back in Tennessee.
The Titans fielded one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and it has to be better after adding JC Latham with the seventh pick and the addition of center Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency. Pollard did rush for 1,000 yards last season, but his YPC was only 4.0, and he didn’t look as efficient as we hoped.
Pollard is a solid RB1 for a team but may not be an RB1 for fantasy. He eclipsed 70 yards three times and 100 yards only once. He’s an excellent pass-catching back and will produce, but not at the rate we want for an RB1. Pollard is a superb second or third back for your team and won’t sink you if you need to rely on him.
Projection: 205 carries for 925 yards and 4 TDs, 40 receptions for 255 yards and two TDs
Tyjae Spears
A group hoped Spears would take over the lead role with King Henry’s departure. Maybe it was just me and Nino Brown, but some hoped it would happen.
Spears was immensely productive at Tulane and had an interesting profile. But health and age were concerns. He rushed for 453 yards on 100 carries as a rookie and had 52 receptions.
Combined with Pollard, it gives the Titans an extremely dangerous duo of pass-catching options. Neither may be an ideal first two down back, and neither will be a power back. Both together give the Titans a quick and dangerous pair.
Projection: 125 carries for 510 yards and three TDs, 45 receptions for 310 yards and two TDs
The Stable
Hassan Haskins is next up and gives the Titans a physical back in a situation of need. He gained five first downs in 25 carries as a rookie and is a no-mess-around type of back. Rookies Dillon Johnson and Jabari Small have promise if things bounce right for them. I like Johnson a bit more, but it’s unlikely either of them carve out enough carries or targets to be fantasy-relevant.
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins
After a few seasons plagued by injury, Hopkins played in 17 games last season, parlaying that into 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven TDs on 137 targets. He just turned 32 and is still dangerous, but not quite like he used to be. And he doesn’t have to be. Hopkins is still a WR1, but his days of elite WR1 production are behind him, and he leads possibly the oldest starting trio of WRs in the NFL.
Projection: 70 catches for 935 yards and six TDs
Calvin Ridley
The Titans made an underrated signing by bringing in Ridley after he tallied 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight scores in his return after missing a season due to a league suspension.
Ridley could end up being the WR1, but he goes from Trevor Lawrence to Levis, and as stated above, I’ve got reservations about the QB. Ridley will still garner targets, and I consider him more reliable than Hopkins (at this stage in their careers). However, they had nearly the same efficiency last season. Ridley will benefit from having Hopkins on the other side of the formation.
Projection: 75 catches for 845 yards and six TDs
Tyler Boyd
The new head coach, Callahan, benefits from having his veteran slot receiver, Boyd, follow him to Nashville. Boyd will be 30 this year and is still a reliable slot guy, but his production is slightly declining. With Hopkins and Ridley (I know he produced with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins) and a productive tight end, Boyd may be capped a little, but you could do far worse than Boyd as a bye-week start.
Projection: 55 catches for 460 yards and two TDs
The Corps
Former first-rounder Treylon Burks is the first man up if Hopkins or Ridley goes down, and Burks could still see time spelling either or in specific packages. For someone so dominant in college, he’s been a disappointment for Tennessee. I haven’t entirely given up on him, but his value drops daily.
The rest of the receivers are not valuable for fantasy. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is a Break Glass in Case of Emergency receiver and could have minimal value if two top options go down. He’s shown the ability to be productive and is worth a deep roster spot. Kyle Phillips, Colton Dowell, Mason Kinney, and three rookies—Jha’Quan Jackson, Bryce Oliver, and Sam Schnee—round out the roster, but I’m not rostering any of that hexad.
Tight Ends
Chig Okonkwo
It’s hard to say what happened with Okonkwo in 2023. After a strong rookie season, we had high expectations for 2024. He had over 30 more targets, 77, and caught 54 balls – 22 more than in 2022 – but only had 78 more yards and two fewer scores (1). If you were banking on Chig being your main man at TE in 2023, you were incredibly disappointed.
Now, they have a better slot receiver, but hopefully, the quarterback situation will be more stable. He should still get the targets, but I wonder if Okonkwo is ever what we hoped he would be.
Projection: 50 receptions for 495 yards and three TDs
The Bench
It’s already going to be tough for the tight end in this offense, and if Okonkwo doesn’t play, the players behind him are quite the drop-off in talent. Josh Whyle is a decent pass-catcher, and Nick Vannett is a solid veteran. Rookie David Martin-Robinson is interesting if he can develop and is possibly worth a deep stash. Beyond that, there is nothing to see here.
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