Daily Dr. Roto — September 1, 2018
Tennessee Titans Team Preview
Outlook: The Titans have a new coach in Mike Vrabel and a new OC in Matt LaFleur (the architect of the Los Angeles Rams offense under Sean McVay) which brings new hope to Nashville. But it will be the Titans defense, led by newly signed CB Malcolm Butler that will decide how far this team goes in the playoffs.
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QB: The Titans will most likely go as far as Marcus Mariota will take them. Although he is not the most vocal of leaders, Mariota leads by example and has the respect of the entire offense. New OC Matt LaFleur had tremendous success in Los Angeles with Jared Goff, so the hope is that he can come into Nashville and find ways to improve Mariota’s overall game. Mariota is extremely mobile, but the team is worried that he will get injured if he leaves the pocket too often. Additionally, Mariota struggles to throw the deep ball, so LaFleur must figure out which are the best routes for the team to run to be successful. At this point, I would call Mariota a work in progress as a QB. There are signs that he is emerging, but he needs to find more consistency. I project him for about 3800 yards passing (with 300 yards rushing) and about 23 to 25 TDs, making him a solid QB2 in Fantasy circles.
RB: I feel like I have been waiting for Derrick Henry to emerge forever. Last year I was convinced was going to be his year, but DeMarco Murray never lost his spot in the lineup. It wasn’t until the NFL playoffs that we saw how dominant Henry could be if given the opportunity. Going into the offseason, I was ecstatic thinking that Henry was going to finally get his chance to be the lead back—until the team went out and signed Dion Lewis. According to my Titans Insider, Henry is still expected to get about 60% of the carries, and the team is hoping he gets about 1200 total yards from scrimmage. He should also get about 10 TDs, considering he has terrific size to be the short yardage back in this offense. As for Lewis, he will play on the occasional first and second down, but his true value to the team is as a receiver out of the backfield. Lewis is particularly valuable in PPR formats (he is an ideal RB3) as he should amass close to 65 receptions in this offense.
Think you can beat the elite? Just $299 to find out if you have what it takes to win the $50K grand prize!WR: Rishard Matthews was the team’s top receiving threat in 2017, mainly because last year’s top rookie, Corey Davis, couldn’t seem to hit his stride. That should change this season. Davis will be the WR1 in this offense and the first person that Mariota looks for downfield. Davis has outstanding size and speed and should be a mismatch for most smaller cornerbacks. One drawback to selecting Davis is the fact that the Titans are in the same division as the mighty Jacksonville Jaguars, which could mean that Davis will struggle in those two matchups. Overall I project Davis for 75-80 receptions and 1000 yards this season. As for Matthews, he has been dealing with a knee injury, but he seems to have avoided the PUP list and has returned to practice. He is a solid route runner and offers Mariota a veteran presence in the huddle which is reassuring late in games. I can see Matthews doing a lot of damage in situations when the team desperately needs to make a play. Keep your eye on Taywan Taylor as the WR3 in this offense. Taylor has great speed and quickness, and he is learning the pro game. He will do much of his damage in the slot, and he should see more time than he did last season. Taylor impressed the team in training camp this season. He is close to becoming a reliable threat, and if anything should happen to Matthews, I could easily see Taylor stealing his job.
TE: Delanie Walker might be 34 years old, but he is still Mariota’s top target and the key to the Titans passing attack. Despite his age, Walker should once again get about 70 catches for 900 yards and a handful of TDs. He is much better in PPR formats than standard leagues. Nipping at Walker’s heels for playing time is Jonnu Smith. Smith was a rookie last season and showed a decent amount of promise (18 catches and 2 TDs). It normally takes tight ends three years to become comfortable in the NFL, so Smith is still a work in progress. I won’t draft Smith now, but if Walker misses time for any reason, I would gladly pay for him off the waiver wire.
K: Ryan Succop is no one’s first choice at kicker, but he did have 42 attempts last season. With the Titans offense still in flux, I expect him to have a ton of attempts this year too, making him worthy of Fantasy consideration.
D: DE Jurrell Casey is one of the most underappreciated sack artists in the AFC. S Kevin Byard has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. CB Malcolm Butler is finally the shutdown corner that this team has been missing. The Titans are on the fringe of being a top defense, depending on how the new faces gel together with the old faces.
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