RADIO
The Tennessee Titans are primed to win their division this season, considering the uncertainty around the other teams in the AFC South. The Titans finished last season 9-7, one game short of the playoffs, and saw their second year franchise quarterback, Marcus Mariota, get hurt in Week 16 against the Jaguars. Many around the league see them as a team to take the proverbial “next step” and make the playoffs this year.
Employing their "exotic smashmouth" running game, they have a pair of fantasy-friendly running backs, along with a slew of new receivers that may command attention from fantasy owners this year.
Let's see what the Titans have to offer in 2017 in terms of fantasy football value.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
Tennessee Titans 2017 Team Outlook
Offseason Moves
Notables Acquisitions: WR Corey Davis, WR Eric Decker, CB Logan Ryan, WR Taywan Taylor
Notable Losses: TE Anthony Fasano, WR Kendall Wright, G Chance Warmack
Quarterback
Marcus Mariota is the face of the franchise for the Titans, and coming into his third season, he is set to put up big numbers. Last year, his season ended a game early, when his right fibula was broken in Week 16 against the Jaguars. Mariota has been a full participant in all preseason games, and is good to go for the entire season. Mariota finished last season with 3,426 passing yards, which was good for 26 TDs, and 9 INT. He increased his touchdowns and passer rating, while lowering his interceptions compared to his rookie year. Mariota had 200 or more passing yards in 12 of his 14 games last year, and was quietly one of the more consistent quarterbacks in the league, but isn’t yet viewed as one of the elite passers. He makes a good fantasy target this season, due to the fact he won’t be drafted too high, and will give you production every week. He is a viable number one quarterback option for you fantasy team, albeit on the lower-end of the spectrum due to the effectiveness of the run game in the red zone. Mariota will need to continue to improve, and avoid injury, if the Titans are going to make the playoffs and advanced in the AFC.
Running Back
One of the strong points for the Titans last year was their running game. They finished third in the league with 2,187 yards, and 16 touchdowns, which was tied for 10th overall. After a disappointing 2015 season with the Eagles, the Titans brought in DeMarco Murray and committed to the run game. He finished with his second-most yards in a season at 1,287, and second-most touchdowns with nine. With a veteran back carrying the load, it opened up much of the early success for Marcus Mariota, which lead to them feeding off each other. The Titans also have former Heisman Trophy Winner, Derrick Henry, who finished off his rookie season with 490 yards, and five touchdowns. This developing one-two punch in the backfield for the Titans points to brighter days ahead, as they run behind one of the better offensive lines in the league. Both Murray and Henry make valuable picks in fantasy football this season, they both average over four yards a carry last year, and have some threat catching out of the backfield, as shown by them both averaging over 10 yards per reception last season.
Wide Receivers
The receiving corps for the Titans was one of their weaker points, but they took steps in the offseason to address that, and are loaded up with weapons for Mariota. The Titans parted ways with Kendall Wright after five seasons, the final two of which were a big disappointment. Wright finished the last two seasons with only 824 yards and six touchdowns combined. A big downturn, after the first-round draft pick put up over 1,000 yards in his sophomore campaign. With the departure of Wright, the Titans brought in the veteran Eric Decker, to hopefully bring a reliable receiver to build Mariota’s confidence. Last year, Decker had a rough go, as he only played three games, and had season ending hip surgery, as well as offseason shoulder surgery. Prior to last year, Decker had posted three seasons of over 1,000 yards in his last four, along with those three season with 11 or more touchdowns in all three. If Decker can stay healthy, he can be a top option for the Titans passing game, along with a solid option in any fantasy league.
In an effort to further bolster the receiving corps, the Titans drafted standout receiver Corey Davis from Western Michigan. He finished off his college career as the All-Time FBS receiving leader, and was the first wide receiver taken in this year’s draft. Expectations are high for him, but as a rookie, he is unproven. By all accounts, he will live up to the hype but it's a matter of when that will happen. The Titans also draft wide receiver Taywan Taylor in the third-round. Taylor finished his senior season at Western Kentucky with over 1,700 yards, along with 17 touchdowns. Rishard Matthews was their leading receiver last year with 945 yards and nine touchdowns, and is slotted as the number one receiver this year. One thing is clear from all of the Titans offseason moves, they are bringing in weapons for Marcus Mariota to succeed.
Tight End
The proverbial rock of the Titans offense is tight end Delanie Walker. The 12-year veteran had yet another successful out last year, posting 800 receiving yards or more for the third straight season. He finished sixth overall in receiving yards for tight ends last season, and tied for second in touchdowns. Some people around the fantasy football industry say he is due for a bit of negative regression this year, as his consistency over the past few years cannot be sustained, and his age may become a factor. Walker has played 14 or more games in all but one of his NFL seasons, so take everything you read with a grain of salt, including this.
Kicker
Ryan Succop is the Titans kicker, and last season he finished fourth in the league for field goal percentage at 91%, along with 95% on extra points. Succop is by far one of the more accurate, and consistent kickers in the league, and with the Titans offense trending upward, he makes a good fantasy option.
Defense/Special Teams
The Titans defense was night and day when it comes to the passing and running game. Last season they allowed the third most passing yards in the league, and then they allowed the second fewest rushing yards. They finished tied for sixth most sacks in the league with 40. Clearly their run defense is elite, and the passing game is where they struggled, so in an effort to fix that, they brought in CB Logan Ryan. Hopefully he can shut down opposing team’s top receiver and not force the young Titans offense to play from behind.
