After Ryan Tannehill struggled to keep the offense afloat, the
Tennessee Titans gave Will Levis the keys to the offense in Week
8 of last season. Levis was firing on all cylinders in his first
start, throwing for four touchdowns. Unfortunately, this would
be Levis’s peak and he threw just four additional TDs in his final
eight games.
Heading into 2024, there is hope that Levis can be an appreciating
fantasy asset. He should benefit from the typical progression
and growth that many quarterbacks experience in their second season.
A new offense in Tennessee should also benefit all players involved
in the passing game. Former Bengals’ offensive coordinator
Brian Callahan is the new head coach and offensive mind. In Cincinnati,
he operated one of the league’s most pass-heavy offenses
and has made it clear that this mindset will carry over to Tennessee.
A pass-heavy scheme benefits Levis’s fantasy outlook. However,
the jury is still out on whether or not he is a capable NFL quarterback.
Levis should not be a primary target in fantasy drafts but can
be drafted as a QB2 with hopes that the Titans’ offense
breaks out in 2024.
Tyjae Spears played a complementary role to Derrick Henry during
his rookie season. He proved to be a quality pass-catching back
in this secondary role. He garnered a 13.8 percent target share
which led to 68 total targets. Levis seemed more than willing
to use Spears as a receiver, giving him 6-plus targets in four
of nine starts.
Spears is not your prototypical early-down rusher but he was
effective on the ground as a rookie. He posted 4.5 yards per carry
while averaging 2.9 yards after contact per attempt.
Derrick Henry departed for Baltimore but the Titans rightfully
felt that Spears is not a bell-cow back. They added Tony Pollard
in free agency to split touches with Spears.
Spears is exactly the type of player to invest in, an explosive
second-year back with receiving chops. The presence of Pollard
caps his ceiling but taking chances on intriguing talent is how
league winners are found.
RB Tony Pollard
(2023 RB Rank – No.23, 13.1 FPts/G)
After being one of the league’s most exciting, dynamic
backs in 2022, Tony Pollard was a staple of the 1-2 turn in drafts
last season. Like many of the early-round selections last year,
Pollard was rather disappointing. He seemingly lost his burst
and took a step back in nearly every relevant efficiency metric.
Pollard’s struggles may have been largely due to tightrope
surgery that he underwent after the 2022 season. If this was the
culprit, Pollard is a prime bounce-back candidate in 2024.
Like Spears, Pollard’s fantasy value will be driven by
the degree to which this backfield is split. But if he can return
to his 2022 form (RB10), he has demonstrated a skill set that
would allow him to produce with limited opportunities.
DeAndre Hopkins is often mentioned as one of the veteran wide
receivers who is “washed” and already past the age
cliff. But Hopkins still proved to be a legitimate threat last
season. He notched another 1000-yard season while maintaining
a 28.6 percent target share. Hopkins finished as the WR29 but
there’s certainly room for improvement if he can benefit
from some positive regression.
Hopkins was used in an incredibly valuable role last season.
He maintained consistent usage (high target share) while seeing
regular downfield looks. Hopkins was 2nd among WRs in deep targets
and regular deep balls led to him finishing as the WR2 in air
yards. However, he ranked first in unrealized air yards, meaning
many of these deep looks led to incompletions. If Hopkins can
connect with Levis at a higher rate in 2024, his role as the vertical
threat in the offense could create fantasy fireworks.
Calvin Ridley was another preseason darling of the fantasy community
last season. Like Pollard, he let drafters down and had a rather
pedestrian season. Some are aboard the Ridley hype train once
again with reports that he’ll see a “Ja’Marr
Chase-like” role in the Titans’ offense.
This type of usage could be exactly what Ridley needs. Last season
in Jacksonville, Ridley was egregiously misused as their vertical,
boundary receiver. This is not the role that Ridley is best suited
for. Thankfully, Hopkins has built a career in this role.
There are some red flags with Ridely, namely his lack of meaningful
fantasy production since 2020. Like the Tennessee running back
room, the receiver group features a 1-2 punch that is difficult
to project. If Ridley can cement himself as the alpha over Hopkins,
he will likely be a quality WR2 for fantasy purposes.
Titans OC Brian Callahan is reunited with former Bengal WR Tyler
Boyd in Tennessee. Boyd projects to play the slot role for the
Titans, just as he did in Cincinnati. Callahan has historically
used 3 WR sets at a high rate, so expect to see Boyd on the field
regularly.
Even if he is on the field often, he will likely not be much
of a factor in fantasy. Boyd faces legitimate target competition
and is clearly the third WR on the targets totem pole. He will
possibly provide some flex appeal if Hopkins or Ridley get hurt
but does not offer much if everyone is healthy.
After posting a 2.61 yards per route run during his rookie season,
Okonkwo was a popular late-round TE last year. Mike Vrabel’s
run-heavy scheme made it difficult for Okonkwo to produce and
he caught just 54 balls while finding the endzone just once.
A new offense makes Okonkwo an intriguing flier in drafts once
again. However, he should not be drafted with high expectations.
Given the overall offensive environment and target competition,
a finish as a middling TE2 would be a win for Okonkwo.
