Is Tyjae Spears A Good Fit For The Titans? Fantasy Football Outlook

Former Tulane running back Tyjae Spears had a monster senior campaign with the Green Wave, earning himself a third-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft via the Tennessee Titans.

Derrick Henry remains on the roster in Tennessee despite flurries of trade rumors, but the landing spot could be a good thing for Spears' 2023 fantasy football value and beyond

Is Spears a good fit for the Titans and what can we expect from him as a rookie in fantasy football? Let's dive in.

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What Did Tyjae Spears Accomplish At Tulane?

Spears' NFL profile is largely built on his junior and senior campaigns -- as the 21-year-old running back posted just 192 rushing yards as a freshman and 274 rushing yards as a sophomore.

As a junior, he totaled 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns on 148 touches. Then, his explosive senior year happened. In 2022, Spears rushed 229 times for 1,581 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns, adding 22 receptions for 256 yards and two receiving scores. He finished fifth in the nation in rushing yards and earned AAC Offensive Player of the Year Honors.

In the national spotlight against USC in the Cotton Bowl, Spears handled 17 carries -- turning them into 205 yards (12.1 YPC) and four rushing touchdowns.

Needless to say, his stock went up with that performance, and he found himself as a third-round pick when the 2023 NFL Draft concluded.

Is Tyjae Spears A Good Fit For The Titans?

While Spears won't have weekly upside in fantasy football, he may have some standalone value as a change-of-pace back to Derrick Henry. Henry is 29 years old and has handled 1,016 total touches over his last three regular seasons. Eventually, the former 2,000-yard rushing has to slow down and Tennessee may opt to finally split the backfield work. That's no guarantee, but it's possible.

If Henry continues to command a full workhorse role, Spears can have value as a premier handcuff in one of the NFL's most run-heavy attacks. Additionally, he could see receiving work if he's called into action since Tennessee has one of the worst wide receiver groups in the NFL.

Ultimately, Spears is worth rostering in all non-shallow leagues given his upside if something happens to Henry. Again, he could have some standalone flex appeal in deep leagues, too. He's an interesting pick in dynasty rookie drafts because there is a chance he'll at least be part of a two-man backfield as soon as 2024 as the Titans look to move on from Henry in the near future.

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