The fantasy football landscape shifts each week, bringing fresh opportunities and unexpected challenges that separate the prepared from the pretenders. Savvy managers know that last week’s performance tells only part of the story, and diving deeper into the underlying metrics reveals the accurate picture.
This week presents some intriguing decisions. Here’s insight about key Tennessee Titans players heading into their matchup with the San Francisco 49ers to help you craft a winning lineup.
Cam Ward, QB
Cam Ward posted the first multi-TD pass game of his career and earned the victory over draftmate Shedeur Sanders on Sunday, but he wasn’t clean (he threw an interception, something he didn’t do in November) and averaged just 4.2 yards per pass.
The scripted first drive was impressive against a strong defense (4-for-4 for 48 yards and a 14-yard touchdown to fellow rookie Elic Ayoumanor), but he managed just 69 passing yards after that possession, finishing shy of 200 yards for the fourth time in five games.
His Titans won the game, but Sanders looked like the QB closer to holding fantasy relevance.
Tony Pollard, RB
Entering Week 14, Tony Pollard was stuck in the mud for a struggling offense without upside.
Entering Week 15, Pollard is coming off a monster game after being stuck in the mud while still playing in an offense without a ton of upside.
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I can’t explain to you where his huge game in Cleveland came from (25-161-2). After failing to get within 70% of his expected PPR points in four straight games, he turned 12.6 expected points into 28.1 against maybe the best run defense in the NFL.
I think we chalk this up the same way we choose to forget that the Raiders went into Foxboro in Week 1 and won.
It’s a sport played with a goofy-shaped ball: weird things happen on occasion.
I think you’re looking at the glass half full to get Pollard into your flex conversation: he’s sitting around Rb30 for me this week.
Chimere Dike, WR
Chimere Dike has earned at least seven targets and scored in two of his past three games, impressive performances at face value, but even more when you consider the competition (Seahawks and Browns).
The fourth-round rookie seems to be trusted by Ward, and that’s huge for his long-term outlook. In the Week 15 discussion, however, I can’t swallow the risk that comes with betting on this offense to chase marginal upside.
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Dike has reached 45 receiving yards just twice this season, and despite the recent positive signs, 8.4 yards per catch is a tough sell in an inefficient offense.
Chig Okonkwo, TE
An athletic 26-year-old tight end with a 77.4% catch rate this season from a rookie quarterback is interesting when looking long-term, but Chig Okonkwo isn’t close to viable right now and shouldn’t be counted on to breakout over this next month just because you’d like him to.
His next end zone target will be his first, and he only has one red zone touch all season. His 25.1 routes per game make for a nice note, but until Ward turns them into something, we can’t assume that fantasy numbers are going to pop up out of thin air.
