Tony Pollard vs. Tyjae Spears - Who Should I Draft in 2024 Fantasy Football?

The Tennessee Titans backfield underwent a serious makeover this offseason. Longtime starter Derrick Henry departed in free agency as the organization opted to go a different direction.

Second-year back Tyjae Spears was poised to take over the lead role until Tennessee signed former Dallas Cowboys starter Tony Pollard in the opening days of free agency. Both backs figure to form some type of committee as Tennessee builds a new offense around quarterback Will Levis.

So, which back should fantasy football players target in drafts this year? Let’s take a few minutes and discuss.

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Tony Pollard 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Pollard is coming off a disappointing season with the Dallas Cowboys. He did have his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season and set a career-high in receptions. However, his efficiency metrics cratered, and he was one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy football last year.

The Titans have said they do not plan to use Pollard in a bell-cow role. They hope fewer touches help Pollard stay fresh and explosive. This could help him bounce back in terms of his efficiency and thus make Pollard a bargain in fantasy drafts.

Tyjae Spears 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Spears was snookered behind Derrick Henry on the depth chart last year but showed big-play ability throughout the year.

Touchdown Tyjae Spears! 🤩

Tyjae Spears is a top-__ RB in 2024. Fill in the blank. pic.twitter.com/I3O3nh3ZaP

— PlayerProfiler NFL (@Profiler_NFL) January 7, 2024

The sophomore back graded higher than Pollard in PFF’s Elusive Rating, Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expected, and Fantasy Points Data Suite’s Missed Tackles Forced Per Attempt. Spears will look to make a bigger impact in Year 2 and should improve upon his rookie numbers.

Who Should I Draft in Fantasy Football?

Titans head coach Brian Callahan has made it known multiple times this offseason that he sees both backs as interchangeable, and there’ll be no defined roles. He has also stated they will look to use each back in a true 50/50 split.

If this is the case, our best move is to default to ADP (average draft position). In FFPC leagues, Pollard has an ADP of 94.73 overall, while Spears is going almost a full round later with an ADP of 102.58.

If this backfield is truly a 50/50 split in all aspects, then there is no reason to draft Pollard first. Go for the player with the better price and draft Spears.

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