Every offseason, fantasy gamers look for small nuggets for edges in drafts. One source of potential profit is mining value for backup running backs. To that end, Titans head coach Brian Callahan recently spoke to a more even workload for running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears.

Currently on Underdog, Tony Pollard is being drafted in round 7 while Tyjae Spears is being drafted in round 11. This 4 round difference is something that could pay off tremendously should Spears get a more even workload or get the job should Tony Pollard miss time. 

A reason for optimism includes Tyjae Spears finishing as the RB3, RB10, and RB12 from weeks 15-17. A reason for pessimism is that Pollard had 260 carries in 2024 to Tyjae Spears’ 84 rush attempts. Pollard was 9th in weighted opportunities while Spears was 44th.

Every type of hype sounds good in July. Drafting an even split of both Pollard and Spears is best practice for risk aversion, however when the play is live, coaches tend to revert to past practices. Until shown otherwise, expect Tony Pollard to get deference as the lead back in the Titans offense. 

Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)