Last season, the Tennessee Titans implemented a two-man backfield featuring Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. In the 2026 NFL Draft, they added Nick Singleton to the mix. What will his immediate role look like? Is there anything here for fantasy football in 2026? And what can we expect from Singleton in the long term?
Should You Draft Nick Singleton in Fantasy Football?
There’s plenty to like about Singleton’s collegiate profile. He produced at a very young age, rushing for over 1,000 yards in his freshman year at age 18.
With two seasons over a 10.0% college target share, Singleton is a two-dimensional back that can contribute in all phases. He has a complete profile, which gives him multiple avenues to see the field. That’s the good. Now for the not so good.
Singleton spent four seasons at Penn State, but never surpassed 171 carries in any of them. Historically, running backs who were not heavily used in college are not heavily used in the NFL. It’s a difficult transition to make.
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The main concern is that after a very strong freshman year, Singleton was never able to earn an increased role. He was essentially the same player all four years. Outside of the increase in receiving work, it’s fair to argue Singleton’s best season was that first one when he averaged a career-high 6.8 yards per carry.
With that said, Singleton does have a feature back size at 219 pounds. He ran an impressive 4.46 40-yard dash, good for a 78th-percentile speed score. He’s very fast for his size. If he can earn volume, the production potential is there. However, that will be a challenge for the Titans, especially with two quality veterans, let alone for a fifth-round rookie.
Singleton’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
Fantasy managers love to be excited about rookies. That’s even more the case when they join a team that appears to be trending in the right direction with a veteran starter who is at the age cliff.
Pollard is 29 years old. This could be the season he declines and loses work as the season progresses. He is also a back without as much tread on his tires and had a pretty strong close to last season.
Spears has flashed upside down in his satellite back role, but the Titans have never shown a real willingness to use him any more than that. If Pollard were to go down, Spears would undoubtedly start, but it’s entirely possible his overall role doesn’t change much.
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That appears to be Singleton’s primary path to relevance. New head coach Robert Saleh did not dismiss Singleton’s value to the team, but he made it abundantly clear that Pollard and Spears are the clear main backs.
When the season starts, fantasy managers should expect Singleton not to touch the ball at all offensively. He will mostly play special teams, possibly returning kicks. He’ll be on the team and have a role. It just won’t be fantasy relevant.
MORE: 2026 Controversial Fantasy Football Running Back Depth Charts: Who To Draft In These Confusing Rooms
Currently, Singleton is nothing more than a late-round dart throw, rounding out at RB58 in our consensus rankings. He’s very much in the range of backs that get drafted in most leagues. However, if you put him on the back of your bench as an RB5, odds are you will end up dropping him within the first month of the season.
With any pure handcuff, the question is always how long can you roster him before you need the spot. Just know what you’re getting into if you take Singleton.
Preseason Fantasy RB Rankings
- Bijan Robinson | ATL
- Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
- James Cook III | BUF
- Jonathan Taylor | IND
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Christian McCaffrey | SF
- Saquon Barkley | PHI
- Chase Brown | CIN
- De’Von Achane | MIA
- Derrick Henry | BAL
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- D’Andre Swift | CHI
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- Josh Jacobs | GB
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- Jordan Mason | MIN
- Rico Dowdle | PIT
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
- Blake Corum | LAR
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Kyle Monangai | CHI
- Rachaad White | WAS
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- Jonathon Brooks | CAR
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG
- Isiah Pacheco | DET
- Woody Marks | HOU
- Tyjae Spears | TEN
- Nick Singleton | TEN
- Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL
