The Tennessee Titans may have been the most average team in the NFL last season while finishing 9-7 in a rather lackluster AFC South Division. Head Coach Mike Munchak leads a young and dynamic offense which has fans and critics wondering if they have enough experience to make a run at the division.
Here are the guys in Tennessee that you should have on your list come time to do the fantasy draft.
*Credit to Cold Stone Creamery for inspiring the categories for this set of fantasy previews. However, I cannot guarantee the fantasy players will live up to high expectations like their delicious ice cream does.
GOTTA HAVE THEM (Elite Category – These guys are must have for any fantasy team)
RB Chris Johnson (2011 Finish: 16th ranked RB at 9.8 points per game)
At 26 which is not old, but by no means young at the position either, Johnson remains one of the fastest players in the league. I’m ready to chalk up a disappointing 2011 campaign which included only four touchdowns to the lengthy hold-out that brought CJ into the season out-of-shape and completely out of rhythm. In his first two seasons, he scored a ridiculous 28 touchdowns on plays that had fans screaming this guy is good. Expect more of the original Johnson because the offensive line should be better and the passing game has a lot of question marks. I wouldn’t feel bad at all taking Johnson after Arian Foster, LeSean McCoy and Ray Rice leave the board.
LOVE THEM (These guys are game-changers who are a breakout season or two from becoming elite)
TE Jared Cook (2011 Finish: 15th ranked TE at 5.2 points per game)
Seems like this guy enters this category each and every year and there’s no doubt Cook makes the All-Fantasy Playoffs Team (21 catches and 335 yards from week 15-17). Unfortunately, racking up half of the season’s production in the fantasy playoffs doesn’t really help prospective owners with drafting you. Cook has very nice speed and size (think Vernon Davis and Jermichael Finley) and appears to want to be a bigger part of the passing game. What I like about Cook is that he will probably thrive no matter who’s slinging the ball around (Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker). If you want no part of drafting the elite to great tight-ends in the first ten rounds, take a flyer and draft Cook somewhere near the 14th or 15th round.
LIKE THEM (These guys are solid fantasy options who should help any fantasy team win)
WR Nate Washington (2011 Finish: 14th ranked WR at 9.1 points per game)
Washington did an above-satisfactory job while filling in for the injured Kenny Britt in 2011. He grabbed 74 receptions for 1023 yards and scored seven touchdowns, all career numbers for the seven year veteran. With Britt doing everything wrong when it comes to living up to his potential, Washington will probably see reps as the #1, but be cautious because he has all the skills to be solid, but not great. If picked too early (prior to the 11th round), Washington could be a bit of a reach.
WR Kenny Britt (2011 Finish: 88th ranked WR at 2.7 points per game)
Don’t mind the numbers for his 2011 finish because he tore his knee up in week three of the 2011 season. When he did play, Britt was one of the best receivers in the game. But 2012 brings so many questions; is his knee fully healed and will some off-the-field issues cause the 23-year-old to miss a couple of games? Another issue with Britt, who you would have to legitimately spend a seventh or eighth round pick on, is the physicality of his play which could increase the probability of yet another injury. While I love watching this guy, he’s just way too much risk for a fantasy team.
OUT OF STOCK (These guys can not yet be counted on to bring greatness to a fantasy team)
QB Matt Hasselbeck
QB Jake Locker
WR Kendall Wright (Rookie)
WR Damien Williams
RB Javon Ringer
RB Jamie Harper
What do you think of the 2012 Tennessee Titans Fantasy Outlook? Did I miss anything or was it pretty spot on? Let me know by commenting below!
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice and pretend to be a Golf expert from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.
More TSB Fantasy Team Previews:
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Pictures:
Chris Johnson (inquisitr.com)
Jared Cook (sportsnola.com)