Should I Draft Tyjae Spears? Fantasy Football Outlook

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears was the 81st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Spears was outstanding during his four-year college career at Tulane.

The former Green Wave had a limited role during his first two years in college. Spears had 69 rushing attempts for 466 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. However, he had a breakout year in 2021. That season, the young running back had 129 rushing attempts for 863 yards and nine touchdowns.

Instead of declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft, Spears returned to school and had a career year. The former Green Wave had 229 rushing attempts for 1,581 yards and 19 touchdowns. Furthermore, he finished third in college football in rushing touchdowns, only behind Mohamed Ibrahim and Israel Abanikanda.

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Should I Draft Tyjae Spears?

According to the RotoBaller ADP, Spears is a 13th-round pick in 12-team leagues and the 52nd running back off the board. The former Tulane star had an excellent preseason performance. The rookie totaled 22 rushing attempts for 117 yards and a touchdown in three games, averaging 5.3 yards per rushing attempt. Furthermore, he caught four of his five targets for 20 receiving yards during the preseason.

While Spears had an impressive preseason, the rookie running back lacks fantasy upside with Derrick Henry on the roster. Some believe the former Green Wave star will have no fantasy value with the superstar healthy. However, expect the Titans to get Spears a handful of touches per game.

What Other Late-Round Running Backs Should I Also Consider?

The former Tulane star is a solid option for fantasy players at his ADP. However, fantasy players should consider other late-round options, including Roschon Johnson, Kenneth Gainwell, Ty Chandler, Deuce Vaughn, and Chris Evans.

Chandler is an intriguing option. Alexander Mattison is the new starter after the Minnesota Vikings released Dalvin Cook earlier this offseason. There was an open competition between Chandler and DeWayne McBride for the No. 2 role. However, the Vikings waived the rookie running back earlier today.

While Spears and Chandler are worth late-round draft picks, fantasy players should target Johnson over both. The former Longhorn would have been a second-round NFL Draft pick if he hadn’t split the Texas backfield with Bijan Robinson. Last year, Robinson forced a missed tackle on 40.5% of rushing attempts. By comparison, Johnson forced a missed tackle on 48.9% of his rushing attempts last season.

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