Ryan Tannehill (QB, TEN) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 25% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: I’m afraid we’ve seen the last pass of Marcus Mariota as a Titan. Ryan Tannehill started his fifth game this year against Jacksonville on Sunday and although he kept it quiet in terms of volume, his efficiency was massive. On just 18 attempts, Tannehill was able to complete 14 passes (77.8%) for a great 259 yards (14.4 YPA) and two touchdowns with no interceptions. As if that wasn’t enough, Tannehill added 40 extra yards on seven carries, two of them crossing the goal line to put a couple more ticks in his overall touchdowns column.

With this performance, Tannehill has finished every of the game he has started with at least 21.4 fantasy points, 181 passing yards, and a touchdown. He’s thrown three interceptions since Week 7, but none of them has come in his last two games. Tannehill has also improved his numbers in terms of yards per pass attempt, going from 5.8 to 8.5 to 9.5 to 14.4 in the past five (one bye) weeks.

Tannehill has shown two different passing profiles during his five games, though. He started his first three as a volume thrower (29, 33, 39 attempts) and racked up yards and scores just on pure volume. In his last two, though, he has only attempted 37 combined passes but he’s completed 27 of them and thrown four touchdowns while keeping up his fantasy production as his tallies demonstrate.

Tennessee is facing Indiana in Week 13 (the Colts rank 11th against the position) but Tannehill should be considered a potential starter given his current run. Even if you don’t want to risk it, Tannehill is a must-have player if you are locked into the playoffs or expect to make them. He has a cupcake of a schedule from weeks 14 to 16: Oakland (30th against QBs), Houston (29th), and New Orleans (20th). I’d advise to play him in 14+ Teams leagues next week, and definitely stash and deploy him come Week 14 in any format/depth league, including shallow ones.