I have a story to tell you. Sit down and make yourself at home.
It’s 2018, and the Tennessee Titans are miserable on offense. It’s Mike Vrabel’s first year taking over from the roster constructed by his predecessor, and he and OC Matt LaFleur are charged with getting the former No.2 overall pick Marcus Mariota to return on the draft capital spent by the current GM.
I will let you in on a secret: it’s not going great. The offense is one of the worst in the league passing ball, which, with the advent of Patrick Mahomes and the perennial dominance of Tom Brady, seems the thing you need to do to win the AFC that year. The former regime also added a No.5 overall pick in Corey Davis to act as a primary receiver, so there’s a strong incentive for GM Jon Robinson to make this work. But it’s not. The offense is flat. By the time of their bye, they’re averaging 15 points/game, and the team is 3-4. Not out of the playoffs, but not exactly a team the rest of the conference fears.
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But on a cold, clear December night against the Jaguars, something changed. The backup ball carrier, by far the most talented and electric player on the team who had been quiet until that moment, blew up against the division rival. This is the night Derrick Henry became king against one of the best defenses in football.
Pinned against their 1-yard line—or rather, how it looks on video, their 1-inch line—LaFleur gave Henry the ball as he was the bigger-bodied back, and the Titans had already suffered a safety in the game. Backs against the goal line and against one of the best defenses in the league, they gave the ball to their best player, and the rest is history. Henry bullied the Jaguars on the 99-yard score, shoving multiple defenders to the ground, bursting with speed that is unseen for a man his size.
His myth was made by opportunity + talent. This is the magical potion for fantasy football. He went on to single-handedly beat the Jags that night, going for 238 yards and 4 total touchdowns. But the important thing to take away from the night was that we all knew Henry had the talent to be a great ball carrier, but it never reflected itself in the box score.
Until that week, he averaged 7.5 points/game, and if he was not on managers’ benches that winter night, he was on the waivers. Starting that game, he averaged 26 points/game and was dominant year after year. He was an outlier in a league that favored the pass, for fantasy leagues in PPR scoring. He was a week-winner without catching the ball at times.
And this dominance continued until really this year when his points/game mark has taken a serious toll. He has gone from 24.2 points/game in 2021 to 18.9 points/game in 2022 to 14.7 points/game this year, and the Titans offense looks rudderless at times. It’s evident they cannot win games feeding Henry alone. Blame the quarterback, blame the offensive line, blame the playcaller. Either way, he is no longer that cheat code, and the team needs a spark, just as they did in 2018.
Now, all of this isn’t to say that the current Titans’ backup ball carrier is the next Derrick Henry, far from it. But fantasy football is opportunity + talent. Spears is talented. Just look at what he did last week against the Colts. He is shifty and has talent that jumps out on the screen that’s lacking from the rest of the offense. This is a team in need of help, and they’re integrating him in more every week, even playing both him and Henry on the field together to maximize their options on the play.
End-arounds and screenplays are designed with him in mind. They want to get him the ball, and most importantly, he’s been successful when given that opportunity. There may even come a time when Vrabel makes that call to change the offense to focus primarily on him this year. He is the surest candidate, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility. Futility demands change. It’s happened once before.
So please, do yourself a favor and put Tyjae on your roster if he’s not already. He’s workable as a flex and only looks to be getting more involved this season. A ball carrier with his ceiling is the stuff of league winners.
While we’re at it, here are some more names to keep an eye on at running back:
Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
Everyone and their mother are going to keep pounding their Jaylen-Warren-is-better-than-Najee-Harris drums until Mike Tomlin makes the significant change. OK, maybe not Najee’s mother, but you get my point. The reps between the two ball carriers are getting more even, and the upside with Warren is generous if this offensive line can figure out how to block and the team gets healthy. This is certainly a frustrating situation with the timeshare and the Matt Canada offense in general, but Warren is a hold with light at the end of the tunnel.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints
You want to see touches and targets, even if it’s in garbage time. Why? It allows us to see how touches may be distributed if the starter gets hurt, and in the Saints’ case, it would all go to Miller. Picked in the third round, Miller is a pick-and-slide runner with great balance and the ability to catch the ball effectively out of the backfield and is best when the ball is in his hands. He was battling injuries throughout the preseason and even entering the regular season, but he is a roster add for RB-needy teams.
Emari Demercardo, Arizona Cardinals
Now, before you double over in agony about picking up another Arizona Cardinal (sorry to those who started Michael Wilson last week, unless you played me, of course), can we all admit that this team is at least looking better than expected? They are capable of putting up 20 points in a game, yes? James Conner has a light history of missing games due to injury, yes? Consider him a James Conner-esque player. He’s physical, has the ability to bounce off defenders, catches the ball in space, and has the speed to make it to the edge. Keaontay Ingram is still dealing with the neck injury, so Demercado should continue to be the next man up.
Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens
This one is for the deep leaguers. These are the managers who knew of Emari Demercado before he was the Emari Demercado that’s on your waivers list. These are the ball carriers who get a touch or two in the game, and managers’ ears perk. A touch is all we need sometimes.
Now is the time to grab some Keaton Mitchell. Sure, he’s small. 5’8”, 190 lbs, and change, but the dude is electric. Wipe away all your reservations with these small speedsters after everyone on earth has witnessed what’s happening with Devon Achane (before his injury). Mitchell has this upside. Remember that his 40 time was just 0.05 seconds behind Achane, and he, too, is part of an offense that wants to go.
This is the prototype of a back that’s bubbling just below the surface. He’s raw, untested, but the Ravens need a spark. Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and Melvin Gordon are fine at best. Aside from Lamar, there’s no fear factor in their run game, and Mitchell can bring that fear. He’s slippery, shifty, and has a burst of speed that defenders have a hard time keeping up with. He has game-wrecking potential on an offense with a high ceiling, and it’s these guys you must take a chance on.
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