NFL Fantasy Preview: Tennessee Titans

Derrick Henry (Wikimedia Commons)

In a 32-part series leading up to the start of the 2021 National Football League season, we will take a look at each NFL franchise from a fantasy perspective. The 31st team we will review is the Tennessee Titans.

As we approach the 2021 National Football League season, the Tennessee Titans should be one of the elite teams in the American Football Conference. In 2020, the Titans won the AFC South with a record of 11 wins and five losses, as they beat out the Indianapolis Colts. Both Tennessee and Indianapolis had identical 11-5 records, but the Titans won the division title because they had a record of 5-1 inside the division, while the Colts were only 4-2.

A major reason for the Titans regular season success was the play of running back Derrick Henry of Yulee, Florida, who is number one among all positions in fantasy football. The fifth-year back out of Alabama led the NFL last season in rushing yards (2027), yards per game (126.7), rushing touchdowns (17), and yards from scrimmage (2141). Henry’s best game in the 2020 regular was his last as he had 250 yards rushing and two touchdowns in a 41-38 Titans win over the Houston Texans. In the process, he became the eighth player in NFL history to have 2000 rushing yards.

At quarterback, Ryan Tannehill of Lubbock, Texas is ranked seventh in fantasy. Last season he completed 315 passes in 481 attempts for 3819 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Tannehill’s 33 touchdowns were a career high. He also led the NFL in most fourth quarter comebacks among quarterbacks (five), and game-winning drives (six). The reason why Tannehill is only a top-10 quarterback, and not a top-five quarterback is because of the frequency the Titans run the football with Henry. This actually reduces Tannehill’s fantasy value a little bit.

At wide receiver, there are two Titans to consider. They are A.J. Brown and Julio Jones. Brown of Starkville, Mississippi, was selected to the Pro Bowl in only his second NFL season, after being drafted in the second round, 51st overall, out of the University of Mississippi in the 2019 NFL Draft. In 2020, Brown, who is ranked ninth among wide receivers, had 70 catches for 1075 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2021, the Titans have the luxury of having a second receiver to complement Brown. That is what Jones provides after being acquired from the Atlanta Falcons via a trade. Last season, Jones had 51 catches for 771 yards and three touchdowns in only nine games. He missed seven games in 2020 because of a hamstring injury. Jones is ranked 21st in fantasy football among wide receivers.

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