Tennessee Titans

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The Tennessee Titans have limited bullets left in their Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry gun. Over the past two seasons, they went 23-10 with no success in the postseason (0-2). Their top receiving corps has a whole new look this season with two signings (WR Robert Woods and TE Austin Hooper) and the addition of WR Treylon Burke in this year's draft. The loss of WR A.J. Brown removed star power, but the overall changes should be a win for the Titans' passing attack. Tennessee will ride Henry early and often, and they hopefully found a future franchise quarterback in Malik Willis. The Titans remain a top contender in the AFC South.

Offense

Tennessee was one of two teams in the NFL to have more rushing attempts than passes. They averaged 32.4 runs per game, with most of the workload falling on Derrick Henry (219 carries) when on the field for eight games. Their game plan will be the same in 2022.

QB Ryan Tannehill - Bye Week Fill-in

The Titans have no complaints in the regular season with the play of Tannehill since arriving in Tennessee in 2019. He has a 30-13 record with three playoff appearances. The injury to Derrick Henry led to him seeing a slight bump in pass attempts (531) from 2020 (481), but his ability to make big plays diminished over the last two seasons (9.6 yards per pass attempt in 2019 – 7.9 in 2020 and 7.0 in 2021). He passed for over 300 yards in only two games (347/0 and 323/1) and under 225 yards in 12 starts. Since arriving in Tennessee, Tannehill added to his fantasy value with his scoring in the run game (141/721/18).

Fantasy outlook: Tannehill tends to be better than a game manager when on his game. He finished 13th in quarterback scoring (323.90) in four-point scoring leagues after placing 8th in 2020 (390.55). The Titans don't throw many passes to their running backs, and Robert Woods is coming off a torn ACL. Tannehill should gain 4,000 combined yards again with 25 to 30 touchdowns. However, he lacks a high floor in passing, and his consistency rating isn't ideal. In the early draft season in the FFWC, Tannehill is the 20th-ranked quarterback.

QB Malik Willis - Dynasty Only

In the new age of the NFL, more teams are looking for a mobile quarterback who offers a run/pass option to their game. Over the past two seasons, Willis rushed for 1,922 yards on 338 carries with 27 rushing touchdowns. However, his completion rate (62.4) needs work, and interceptions (12) were an issue last year. He gained 8.5 yards per pass attempt over the past two seasons, leading to 5,107 passing yards with 47 touchdowns. However, over his final three games in 2021, Willis completed only 49.0% of his 104 passes for 698 yards and six touchdowns and three interceptions while facing Louisiana, Army, and Eastern Michigan. He also struggled to run the ball over his final six starts (72/223/4 – 3.1 yards per rush).

When given a clean pocket, Willis shows the ability to drive the ball, thanks to his plus arm strength. He also showed touch on deep passes. His challenge at the next level is reading defenses and making throws on time under duress. Willis needs plenty of work on his mechanics. NFL defense will force him to beat them via the pocket where tips balls and his inaccuracy will become a problem early in his career. Willis will be dangerous in the open field when given a chance to run. I expect him to struggle with passing touchdowns in the red zone.

Fantasy outlook: Willis looks more like a project, with the keys to his development coming from improved footwork in his setup when passing the ball and learning to read defenses. I'm also concerned about his long-term durability due to his expected high number of runs. In his rookie season, Willis will learn from the sidelines.

Other Options: Logan Woodside

RB Derrick Henry - Solid/Safe Pick

The mystique of delivering a second great season after rushing for over 2,000 yards continued with Henry in 2022. He was well on his way to another productive year (1,091 combined yards with 10 touchdowns and 18 catches) over eight starts while still having a shot at 2,000 rushing yards (219/937/10). Unfortunately, a foot injury put him on the shelf for his final nine games. Tennessee worked Henry early and often, leading to him receiving 29.6 touches per game. He was on pace to catch 38 balls for 327 yards, which would have been career-highs in both areas. The only strike for Henry last year was his drop in yards per rush (4.3) and lower number of big plays (three runs over 20 yards – 16 in 2020).

Fantasy outlook: The two bright lights in Henry's potential profile this season is Tennessee's improved willingness to throw the ball to their running backs and his insanely high usage rate. He continues to be a scoring machine (45 touchdowns over his last 39 games) with the potential to land multiple impact games. Henry should see a minimum of 400 touches (his 2021 pace would be 503 chances with the ball). I'll start the bidding at 350/1,750/16 with 35 catches for 300 yards and a couple of scores while understanding Henry still has a higher ceiling if he can handle a repeated season in touches. His ADP (6) in the FFWC prices him as the fourth running back selected.

RB Dontrell Hilliard - Fantasy Handcuff

Over four seasons in the NFL, Hilliard doesn't have much of a resume (78/447/4 with 41 catches for 286 yards). From Week 11 to Week 18 in 2021, Tennessee gave him double-digit touches in five games with Derrick Henry injured. He flashed in Week 12 (12/131/1) while offering playing value in two other matchups (82 combined yards with eight catches and 78 combined yards with one touchdown and three catches.

Fantasy outlook: Hilliard doesn't have a high enough skill set in the passing game to steal many looks on passing downs for Tennessee. His change of pace style should lead to some chances in 2022, but he offers no fantasy value with a healthy Derrick Henry on the field.

RB Hassan Haskins - Deep-league Only

Tennessee added Haskins in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. After a couple of quiet seasons at Michigan (182/997/10 with six catches for 40 yards over 18 games), he seized the Wolverines' starting job last season. Haskins finished with 1,458 combined yards with 20 touchdowns and 18 catches on 288 touches. Despite an excellent opportunity, he gained only 4.9 yards per rush and 7.3 yards per catch.

Haskins is another big back (6'2 and 230 lbs.) who relies on his strength and power to make plays. His quickness and overall top-end speed don't look impactful, putting him into the grinder category. Haskins has limited experience in pass protection, but he should improve in his area with more experience and coaching.

Fantasy outlook: Tennessee should use Haskins as almost a relief back for Derrick Henry if/when they play from a big lead. His role in the passing will be short, and there is no guarantee that the Titans will give him chances each week.

WR Dez Fitzpatrick - Not Draft Worthy

Over four seasons at Louisville, Fitzpatrick caught 154 passes for 2,589 yards and 21 touchdowns. He gained 16.8 yards per catch while posting weakness in his catch rate (57.2). His best year came in his freshman season (45/699/9), pointing to regression in his growth.

Fitzpatrick gives Tennessee a wideout to test a defense deep with jump ball ability in the end zone, but his release and hands limit his explosiveness. His lack of quickness and route-running point to minimal value over the short areas of the field. Fitzpatrick won't create in the open field and make good reads on option routes.

Fitzpatrick caught five of his eight targets for 49 yards and one touchdown in his rookie season.

Fantasy outlook: Fitzpatrick may offer flash value in some games if/when he hits on a long score. His play will be up and down with minimal chances each week.

WR Robert Woods - Bye Week Fill-in

Woods blossomed over the past four seasons with the Rams, leading to 311 catches for 4,318 yards and 23 touchdowns over 56 games (15.73 FPPG in PPR leagues). Last year he had four dull games (3/34/1, 5/70, 3/38, and 4/48/1) over the first four weeks while Los Angeles featured Cooper Kupp in the passing game. Woods broke lose in Week 5 (12/150), followed by four steady showings (2/31/1, 6/70, 3/57/2, and 7/98). His season ended in Week 10 with torn ACL in his left knee. He'll have about nine and half months to rehab, giving Woods a chance to be ready for Week 1.

Fantasy outlook: The move to Tennessee pushes Woods to WR1 status and potentially increases his attention by coverage. The Rams gave him 68 rushes for 473 yards and five touchdowns over the last four seasons, increasing his fantasy value. The Titans should also give him some chances in the run game to keep defenses honest when trying to defend Derrick Henry. I expect a slow start in September, so I'll set his bar at 75 catches for 900 yards with about five scores and some added value running the ball. In late May, Woods ranks 41st at wide receiver in the FFWC with an ADP of 105. His stock will rise when he is given the full go for opening day.

WR Treylon Burks - Quality Backup

Over his three seasons at Arkansas, Burks gained 16.4 yards per catch, with growth in his scoring in 2020 (7) and 2021 (12) over 21 combined games. Last year he set career-highs in catches (66), receiving yards (1,104), and touchdowns (12). He finished his college career with 146 catches for 2,399 yards and 19 scores while also chipping in with 38 rushes for 222 yards and one touchdown.

Burks is a physical wideout (6'3" and 225 lbs.). Arkansas used him out of the backfield at times, leading to some surprising big plays with his legs. Much of his action came past the first 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, where Burks won with his size and speed. Despite 4.55 time in the 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine, he showed the ability to outrun defenders over the long field. Burks will be a mismatch problem for defenses at the next level, especially if he plays for a team with a top-tier quarterback.

Fantasy Outlook: For an offense looking to emulate the play style of Deebo Samuel in 2021, Burks stands tall in the wide receiver rankings. He didn't land in the ideal fantasy situation, but the Titans will give him enough chances to produce a WR2 type season. His ADP (92) ranks Burks as the 38th wide receiver drafted in late May in the FFWC. His combination of big plays and potential scoring should work well for his current fantasy value. Burks has a chance at catching 60 passes for 900 yards with four to six scores.

WR Kyle Philips - Super Sleeper (high risk/potential)

A 2022 fifth-round dynamo out of UCLA, Philips has emerged as a legitimate threat to win Tennessee's No. 3 role in Week 1. He's shown amazing chemistry and timing with QB Ryan Tannehill and has been taking the majority of first-team reps out of the slot. Philips is relatively unknown in fantasy circles but is starting to look like a viable PPR option and a tremendous late-round flier.

WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine - Low Potential

Surprisingly, Westbrook-Ikhine led Tennessee in wide receiver snaps (680) in 2021 despite making seven starts. He finished with 38 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns on 57 targets. His best two games came in Week 11 (7/107) and Week 18 (4/78/1) while having three targets or fewer in 10 contests.

His best play came over three seasons at Indiana in college when Westbrook-Ikhine caught 138 of his 226 targets for 2,157 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Fantasy outlook: Tennessee expects Westbrook-Ikhine to open up as their WR3. His size (6'2" and 210 lbs.) creates potential scoring upside in the red zone, but the Titans will give him targets with a healthy Robert Woods and Treylon Burks on the field.

WR Racey McMath - Not Draft Worthy

McMath had a minimal opportunity over the two seasons at LSU. He caught 31 of 47 targets for 480 yards and four touchdowns. He needs to clean up his release and route running to take advantage of his plus speed. His hands and ability to catch in tight quarters look to be assets. He'll struggle with press coverage while bringing a limited flight plan. McMath does project well on special teams.

He caught only two passes for eight yards on eight targets in his first year with the Titans.

Other Options: Cody Hollister, Mason Kinsey

TE Austin Hooper - Quality Backup

After two productive seasons (71/600/4 and 75/787/6) in Atlanta, Hooper failed to live up to expectations in his two years with the Browns (46/435/4 and 38/345/3). Last year he gained over 50 yards in only one game (4/53) while averaging only 3.8 targets. In addition, Hooper only had one contest with over six chances.

Fantasy outlook: Hooper should be a clear upgrade at tight end for the Titans, but they still like to rotate and play multiple tight ends. A successful year would be over 50 catches for 450 yards and five scores. His ADP (230) puts him in the free-agent pool in most redraft leagues in the FFWC.

Other Options: Geoff Swain, Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tommy Hudson

PK Randy Bullock - Not Draft Worthy

Bullock conveted 26-of-31 filed goal tries a year ago, with all five of the missed coming between 40 and 49 yards. He also missed three point after tries. The Titans offense should be considerably better with RB Derrick Henry back in the fold but it will be nearly impossible for Bullock to emerge as a top-12 fantasy option.

Tennessee - Not Draft Worthy

The Titans jumped to 2nd in rushing yards allowed (1,438), with 14 touchdowns and only three runs over 20 yards. Ball carriers gained 3.9 yards per rush while averaging 21.6 rushing attempts per game.

Tennessee bumped to 25th in passing yards allowed (4,169), with quarterbacks tossing 24 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Their defense delivered 32 sacks.

DE Jeffrey Simmons and DE Denico Autry combined for 17.5 sacks, but neither player provided an edge defending the run. The Titans finished last with two of the better safeties in the league (Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker) while investing in two top talented cornerbacks (Caleb Farley and Kristian Fulton) in the 2020 and 2021 drafts. Last season, LB Harold Landry turned into a beast (75 tackles and 12 sacks), leading to a five-year $87.5 million deal. This defense needs to improve rushing the quarterback to help their secondary in coverage. I don't see enough help added this year in free agency or the draft to expect a top 12 fantasy defense.