The Tennessee Titans are loaded with fantasy football assets on their roster, which is a far cry from pre-2019 when the team wasn’t anywhere near as good offensively and maybe had one or two players at most to choose from.
In fact, the Titans’ top options could all be elite fantasy assets. Wide receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown are among the best in the NFL at their position, and running back Derrick Henry figures to post RB1 production once again.
The most underrated of the Titans’ top fantasy assets is quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who posted over 4,000 total yards and 40 total touchdowns in 2020, his second impressive season in a row.
But successfully navigating a fantasy football season requires more than just having top-notch players on your roster. It’s also important for managers to find those diamonds in the rough who can provide depth or make a bigger-than-expected impact throughout the campaign.
The way we see it, the Titans have four big fantasy sleepers going into the 2021 season. Let’s take a look and see who they are.
RB Darrynton Evans
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
There won’t be many carries to go around thanks to Henry’s status as the Titans’ workhorse back, but Evans could have some standalone value in points-per-reception (PPR) leagues.
Not only does Evans figure to serve as the team’s third-down back, but he also stands to garner the majority of looks in the passing game at the running back position, and the Titans might split him out wide in certain situations.
Evans’ explosiveness could lead to some big plays in his second season, and as a result, he might not necessarily need a ton of opportunities to post solid production. On top of that, he’ll likely return kicks, giving managers another avenue to potentially get touchdowns from.
If you have Henry on your roster, adding Evans as a handcuff is a good idea. Granted, we don’t expect him to take over the kind of workload Henry has seen should the Alabama product get hurt thanks to his smaller frame, but Evans would definitely see an uptick in carries if Henry is out.
WR Josh Reynolds
AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, Pool
By default, Reynolds is someone managers must roster if they have a share in either Brown or Jones, as both players have dealt with injuries over the course of their respective careers.
Reynolds will serve as the team’s No. 3 option when everyone is healthy, and while there doesn’t figure to be a ton of targets to go around with Brown and Jones in the mix, the Texas A&M product could maximize the ones he does see with all the space he figures to have to operate.
For now, Reynolds is a solid player to stash on the bench, especially if you roster one of his two teammates, but the 26-year-old could approach WR2 status if Brown or Jones comes down with an injury.
TE Anthony Firkser
AP Photo/Nick Wass
The secret is out on Firkser, who posted a career year in 2020 and stands to have his best season yet in 2021. However, just how much of an impact the Harvard product will make remains to be seen.
We already know Firkser’s pass-catching prowess, but if he wants to maximize his production this coming season he’ll have to improve as a blocker, which will be the difference between him being an every-down player or not.
A failure to do so will limit his snaps and production, but regardless we expect Firkser to post another career year in his fourth season, as he should at the very least see an uptick in snaps and will have more space to work with thanks to Jones, Brown and Henry commanding a ton of attention.
Titans D/ST
AP Photo/Wade Payne
On paper, the Titans have plenty of talent and promise on their defense that should help improve what was one of the worst groups in the NFL last season, but of course, that doesn’t guarantee on-field success.
The Titans got one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s draft at No. 22 overall after Caleb Farley slid due to concerns over his back. The additions of third-round pick Elijah Molden and veteran Janoris Jenkins are two other moves that figure to have Tennessee’s secondary moving in the right direction.
Additions such as Denico Autry and Bud Dupree, to go along with Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry, stand to make the pass-rush better after the Titans owned one of the worst units in the NFL last season. Simmons in particular is someone we have pegged for a breakout year.
However, this defense doesn’t come without concerns. There’s no telling what the Titans will get out of their rookies in Year 1, and Dupree is coming off a torn ACL that could limit him, at least at the start of the season. The good news is Tennessee’s defense can only go up from where it was last year.
At worst, the Titans should have a serviceable defense capable of giving fantasy managers a spot start here and there, and at best this could be a unit that makes it into your starting lineup more often than not.
Want more info on the Titans? Check out our training camp previews!
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