It was a disappointing weekend for the Tennessee Titans, as the team was able to muster only two field goals in a 20-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The offense couldn’t get anything going, finishing with only 209 total yards of offense. It was especially difficult on the ground, as the Titans were able to run the ball for only 42 yards.
One particularly notable development was the fact that Derrick Henry was able to only rush the ball 11 times for 24 yards. His backup, Tyjae Spears, was one of the most effective offensive players for Tennessee on Sunday, with 60 total yards on nine touches.
Should fantasy football managers consider adding the rookie off the waiver wire?
Should Tyjae Spears Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 11?
It was a tough week all the way around for the Titans offense, but the struggles also shouldn’t come as a complete shock.
The Buccaneers entered the game ranked ninth against the run, allowing only 97.9 rushing yards per contest. They’ve fielded a relatively strong run defense all year, so this shouldn’t be an absolute shock for fantasy managers.
With rookie quarterback Will Levis under center, it was likely the Buccaneers would focus on stopping the run and force Levis to beat them. Levis was only 19 for 39 for 199 yards and one interception, and he was sacked four times in the loss.
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Spears ended the day with only 18 rushing yards, but he had five catches for 42 yards. He’s already proven a proficient receiver and is much more of a pass-catching threat than Henry. Spears does seem to have a progressively increasing role in this offense, but at the moment, you shouldn’t be picking him up off the waiver wire.
Make no mistake: This is still Henry’s team, and he is still going to get the majority of the carries. If the Titans were done with Henry being the focal point of the offense, they would have traded him at the deadline. There were multiple teams that would have taken Henry in a trade instantly, many of them playoff contenders.
The fact the Titans didn’t move the valued veteran didn’t signal he’s still a key figure in their plans for the rest of this season. The 11 carries that Henry logged Sunday tied for his fewest in a game this season, equaling his tally from Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns. In both of those games, the Titans lost by at least 14 points.
When the Titans are at their absolute best, they are giving the ball to Henry 20-25 times at minimum. Tennessee will be in action against the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, and it’s likely a safe bet they’ll look to reestablish their physically dominant playing style in that game.
Another thing that hurts Spears is his seemingly low touchdown equity. He has only one score on 70 total touches this season, and it’s common knowledge the Titans are handing the ball to Henry more often than not when they’re near the goal line.
As a result, for the time being, Spears is still not worth a waiver wire pickup, as his fantasy upside remains too low.
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