Joining the Titans is not great for Spears' Fantasy value in Year 1 with Derrick Henry leading the way, but he could immediately carve out a passing-game role as a rookie. We saw last season that when Ryan Tannehill was healthy, the Titans used Dontrell Hilliard as a weapon in the pass game. Hilliard caught two TDs in Week 1 against the Giants and he did it on more than just your typical screen or flare routes. Spears, who racked up 1,586 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns at Tulane last year and 1,052 of those yards came after first contact, can provide an upgrade to Hilliard in that exact role and could be a sneaky late-round dart throw if you play in half or full-point PPR leagues. In rookie-only formats, Spears is worth a pick once the draft moves to Round 2.
Spears rushed the ball eight times for 49 yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over the Chargers. He added two receptions (on two targets) for six yards.
Spears saw his relative role in the Titans offense shrink as compared to Week 1, as he managed 10 total touches to Derrick Henry's 28. He showed some explosiveness with his opportunity by tallying long gains of 14 and 11 yards. While clearly the second back on the depth chart, Spears has a role in the offense and should see high single-digit touches on a weekly basis.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Gets in full practice Thursday
Rotowire
Spears (groin) was upgraded to a full participant in Thursday's practice, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.
Spears was limited Wednesday, but it sounds like a non-issue for the rookie heading into Week 2 against the Chargers. He played 54 percent of the Week 1 snaps versus New Orleans, totaling just 28 yards on four touches while catching only one of his four targets.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Limited at practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Spears (groin) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday ahead of Sunday's game versus the Chargers, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
The exact nature of the injury he's dealing with isn't known, so it will be worth keeping an eye on Tennessee's Thursday and Friday injury reports for more clarity. If he misses time, Julius Chestnut will be in line to back up Derrick Henry.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Sees four targets
Rotowire
Spears carried the ball three times for 27 yards in Sunday's 16-15 loss to the Saints. He added one reception on four targets for one yard.
Spears was shockingly on the field more than Derrick Henry, as he played on 54 percent of offensive snaps as opposed to Henry's 46 percent clip. Their respective workload did not follow suit, though Spears' involvement in the passing game was noteworthy. The Titans have talked up the rookie's potential since minicamp, and it's clear they'll utilize him in a significant way as a complement to Henry.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
Rotowire
Spears is one of my favorite lottery tickets this season given his role as the No. 2 running back in Tennessee behind Derrick Henry. I hope nothing happens to Henry this season, but he's a 29-year-old running back with a lot of mileage on his body over the past three years. If he were to miss any time then Spears could step in and be a potential starter in all leagues. You'll likely have to be patient with Spears on your bench, but he offers plenty of upside given his cost on Draft Day. Spears is worth adding for at least 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Works ahead of other backs again
Rotowire
Spears had nine carries for 28 yards and caught two of three targets for 13 yards in Friday's preseason game against New England.
Spears got the start and took three carries for three yards on the opening drive while Ryan Tannehill was at quarterback. The rookie then stayed on to play four drives with Malik Willis, getting the first six carries of the game for Tennessee before Julius Chestnut and Jacques Patrick started mixing in. Spears threw a vicious stiff-arm on one of his runs and further cemented his status as the No. 2 back behind only Derrick Henry heading into his NFL regular-season debut Week 1 at New Orleans.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Showcases explosiveness
Rotowire
Spears rushed the ball seven times for 57 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 24-16 preseason over the Vikings.
Spears was the first back on the field and played three offensive possessions with Derrick Henry sitting out. He ended his appearance in style by ripping off a 33-yard touchdown, during which he hurdled a defender near the line of scrimmage before showcasing breakaway speed to find the corner of the end zone. Spears will enter the season as the backup to Derrick Henry but should offer big-play ability as a change-of-pace back.
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Titans' Tyjae Spears: Joins Tennessee's backfield
Rotowire
The Titans selected Spears in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 81st overall.
Spears put himself on the map with an incredible 2022 season highlighted by 1,581 yards and 19 touchdowns on 229 carries. He continued to build momentum with an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl. Things halted a bit when he checked in light at the combine at 5-foot-9 and 201 pounds, and he ran just a 4.52 in the 40 at the Tulane Pro Day. Derrick Henry will continue to be the workhorse as long as he's in Tennessee, and Spears didn't show the pass-catching ability at Tulane to be a lock to force his way into a third-down role, either. Spears can work his way onto the fantasy radar in time, but his rookie-year prospects are less than ideal.
