Tennessee Titans vs Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans
Quarterbacks
- Marcus Mariota: 19/28, 154 yards, 1 touchdown | 5 carries, 32 yards
Marcus Mariota, coming off a game where he defied all expectations and played as well as anyone could have hoped, came back down to Earth this game. He wasn’t awful, but he consistently missed his mark and ran more often than he should have. At one point, he tried to hurdle a Colts defender and went airborne, spinning around before landing hard. He was fine, but there were several other points throughout the game where he didn’t slide when he should have. Mariota has played well enough to hold off backup QB Ryan Tannehill, but he will very rarely put his team on his back. Fantasy-wise, he is a bottom-tier starter who should only be used in very good matchups; next week against the Jaguars is not one of those matchups. Mariota is consistently unable to push the ball downfield, and needs a lot of rushing attempts to sustain any sort of fantasy value.
Running Backs
- Derrick Henry: 15 carries, 81 yards, 1 touchdown | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards
- Dion Lewis: 3 carries, 9 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards
Derrick Henry is one of the most unique players I’ve ever watched. Half of his carries go for very few yards, but then he will break off a huge run that turns his fantasy day completely around. He looks slow but quick at the same time; it’s very hard to explain. He has enough volume to sustain consistent production, but could struggle against tough run defenses. His run style completely depends on being able to run people over, and if he can’t do that, it’s possible to get stuffed more often than not. I would feel comfortable starting him most weeks, as it seems like the Titans coaching staff has finally realized how to use him properly. Dion Lewis, in my opinion, is a non-factor barring injury to Henry; even if he does get passing down work, the Titans passing game is not good enough to support more than 2-3 options. If he can’t muster more targets than Henry, he will not be worth much in fantasy.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Corey Davis: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 38 yards
- AJ Brown: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 2 yards
- Delanie Walker: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 39 yards
- Adam Humphries: 2 targets, 2 receptions, -1 yards | 1 carry, 1 yard
The Titans passing offense was not very effective in this game, as the ball was spread around and no one was able to really separate themselves. #1 receiver Corey Davis had some catches, AJ Brown got involved, and Adam Humphries did absolutely nothing. After some thought Humphries would get a lot of targets in this offense, due to the fact that he turned down a larger offer from the Patriots in the offseason, he has been the fifth option at best. Delanie Walker is the only one I would roll out with confidence on a week-to-week basis; he is clearly Mariota’s favorite target. In the desolate wasteland of tight ends, Walker is a model of consistency, with upside for more.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterbacks
- Jacoby Brissett: 17/28, 146 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception | 7 carries, 25 yards
Jacoby Brissett played well enough to eke out a victory, and his touchdowns helped salvage his fantasy day, but he could not do all that much against a tough Titans defense. They were able to dink and dunk successfully, but not much else. His yardage total was nothing to write home about, but he offers weekly upside with his rushing ability. Brissett is a good start in plus matchups, but given his schedule and division, many weeks he could put up duds. Don’t trust Brissett unless you have to, but he is a decent streaming quarterback if your waiver wire is bare.
Running Backs
- Marlon Mack: 20 carries, 51 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards
- Jordan Wilkins: 5 carries, 82 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 4 yards
- Nyheim Hines: 2 carries, 9 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards
Marlon Mack had an inefficient day after torching the Chargers last week, but I think that had more to do with the Titans’ imposing front seven than Mack. He had the majority of the snaps and was in the game in the red zone, so his usage is not concerning. Second-year RB Jordan Wilkins came out of nowhere to torch the Titans defense, making the most out of his limited carries. I would not count on him to repeat his success, but his involvement in this game does not bode well for Nyheim Hines going forward. After getting 80+ targets last year, barring injury to Mack or Wilkins Hines will not be a fantasy producer. He is safely droppable in all but the deepest leagues. Mack can struggle against good run defenses, but will be a viable starter most weeks. I’ll keep an eye on Wilkins, but I doubt he will ever have as good a game as this. He was unable to do much of anything in a wide-open backfield last season, and the stars aligned for him this week. Don’t bother paying attention to him unless he is involved more next week.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- TY Hilton: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 43 yards, 1 touchdown
- Eric Ebron: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 25 yards, 1 touchdown
- Jack Doyle: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 21 yards
- Parris Cambell: 1 target, 1 reception, 12 yards, 1 touchdown
TY Hilton has established himself as a legitimate red-zone weapon, somehow. After his 2017 season with Jacoby Brissett was not up to his standards, this year they are showing that they have an impressive connection. The Colts’ passing game was mostly contained by the Titans, but Eric Ebron was still able to catch a touchdown. I think Ebron was just born to catch touchdowns. Everyone who said that his touchdowns would go down this year is eating their words; Ebron presents weekly upside simply due to his red-zone usage. Jack Doyle was in for most of the game but was not able to do much. Doyle is droppable in most leagues; many have said that he is the top tight end ahead of Ebron, and he continues to prove us wrong. Parris Campbell scored for the first time in his career, but was not involved otherwise and is not worth picking up.
— Ryan Comeau