Why Tyjae Spears of the Tennessee Titans is a Major Fantasy Football Sleeper for the 2024 Season

By Jason Bolton August 17, 2024 09:22

Photo by Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Scanning the 2024 NFL season, fantasy football managers everywhere are looking for sleepers that might offer significant value in their drafts. First off, Tyjae Spears is running Back for the Tennessee Titans, and numerous factors are working in Spears's favor to being a potential fantasy football draft sleeper with 2024 around the corner. Let's delve into the reasons why Spears is poised to be a breakout star in fantasy football circles.

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2023 Season by Tyjae Spears

Tyjae Spears gave the Titans a glimpse of what he can do as an explosive playmaker during his rookie campaign with Tennessee. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of his play:

Rushing Stats: Spears rushed for 453 yards on 100 carries, a healthy average of 4.5 ypc. Two touchdowns were scored on the ground, and he registered nine attempts inside an opponent's 20-yard line. He had a standout year on the ground while running behind one of the worst offensive lines in football.

Receiving Stats: Spears will add more to any offense than rushing yardage, as he finished with 385 yards per receiving on only 36 receptions. His multi-dimensional game led to 3 touchdowns on the year, and his best week was in Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he scored twice.

Spears Fantasy: Spears scored 101.8 fantasy points during the 2022 season, finishing as RB24 in all NFL football. His top game scored him 18.6 fantasy points, which is good evidence that he comes up big when it counts most, just in case you have some faith left in the Bears' passing attack.

Compared to his teammate Tony Pollard, who had 1,005 rushing yards and six touchdowns, Spears' performance is still servicable, even if it may not have met expectations. Yet Pollard's 4.0 yards per carry, while solid in a vacuum, falls short of Spears' average and highlights that Spears was effective with his opportunities.

Spears can contribute on land and in the air, making him an ideal contributor for PPR (points per reception) leagues, where receiving skills can be one of his top strengths and could dramatically increase its fantasy value.

Reasons Spears is Being Drafted as a 2024 Fantasy Sleeper

Current Depth Chart: Henry is on his way out of Tennessee, and Spears figures to slot in as the Titans' RB1. This change means more touches and a larger offensive workload will be available.

Offensive Scheme: Balanced tendencies from the pistol gun have somewhat of a new look after recent years under Darrell Bevell. The hope is that this change will be more beneficial to running backs who can both act as traditional ball carriers and play the part of an offensive weapon in terms of catching passes. That ties into what the Jaguars may be looking for in their backfield, and Spears has shown he can run routes crisply enough to catch passes.

Advanced Analytics: Fifth in Explosive Run Rate and 14th in Yards after contact per attempt as a rookie demonstrates his ability to make people miss but also be so powerful. Those numbers indicate he has the potential to be a difference-maker when called upon.

Fantasy Football Outlook

Spears possesses more of a two-way skillset than some other RBs going late in drafts and perhaps none with similar ADPs. He carries appeal based on talent alone; you can find him higher up my rankings, but now the camp buzz suggests he could lead this backfield by playing all three downs. That kind of value drops him here, no matter one's formatting. His potential for more volume and a better offensive system raises his upside compared to other guys in the mid-tier of RBs.

Recommendation

At the end of it all, Tyjae Spears should be an intriguing fantasy football sleeper leading into the 2024 season for many reasons:

Outlook: His rookie year demonstrated his ability to contribute on the ground and in the air, making him a versatile asset in fantasy leagues.

More Opportunities: If Derrick Henry leaves and the Titans change to focus on offense, that would make Spears more likely for increased touches.

Early Value in Drafts: He is being drafted at a cost that allows you to spend a mid to early round on damn near unknown talent who has shown true breakout potential.

With that in mind, Tyjae Spears, a player fantasy manager, should be aggressively targeting come draft day, and even more so for PPR formats, where his receiving prowess can immediately impact their rosters. As we move into the 2024 season, Spears has established potential as a featured player and is locked in to pick up some fantasy stats.