Tennessee Titans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

With Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (concussion) ruled out for Week 12 against the division-rival Houston Texans, it looks like Tony Pollard will carry more of the load on Sunday. However, Pollard has slowed down after a hot start in 2024. He had just 15 yards on nine carries in the Week 11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the second straight week with fewer than 10 carries and 50 rushing yards. The Titans will want to get their ground game going against Houston to help take some pressure off quarterback Will Levis and the offensive line. Pollard leads the Titans with 160 carries this year for 681 yards and three touchdowns and he should have some more volume upside as a low-end RB2/high-end RB3/flex against the Texans. The matchup isn't ideal, though, as Houston's D has allowed the fifth-fewest half-PPR points to RBs in 11 games this year.

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that running back Tyjae Spears (concussion) will not play in Week 12 against the division-rival Houston Texans on Sunday after missing practice all week. Spears suffered a concussion in the Week 11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and was unable to clear the league's concussion protocol in time to play this weekend. His absence means that lead runner Tony Pollard will have some more fantasy upside in a bad matchup against Houston. Meanwhile, Julius Chestnut will have a more substantial role as the change-of-pace option behind Pollard in Tennessee's backfield. It remains to be seen if Spears will be able to clear the concussion protocol next week in time to play the Washington Commanders in Week 13. The 23-year-old has mostly taken a back seat to Pollard in 2024, seeing 43 carries for 161 yards and a TD while catching 17 passes for 88 yards.

New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye should be viewed as a dependable top-10 fantasy option heading into Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins. The veteran has posted inconsistent results this season, but he's coming off a pair of strong showings over which he has gone 7-for-7 on field goals and 2-for-3 on extra points. Slye has been the overall K2 during that two-game span, and although it's a small sample size, fantasy managers should feel good about his productivity going forward. Boosting his value is a favorable matchup against the Dolphins, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing kickers in 2024. Miami allows a league-high 2.4 field goals per game, and they're also the only team to surrender an average of at least one field goal per game from beyond 50 yards. Managers should feel good about Slye's chances of kicking far and often with significant success.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Van Jefferson (quad) is currently considered questionable to return to Thursday's game against the Cleveland Browns. Jefferson appears to have re-aggravated his quad injury during the first half of this contest. It's the same issue that Jefferson was dealing with last week, but he ultimately played in Week 11. He hauled in his lone target for 11 yards before exiting on Thursday. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Steelers hold out Jefferson until at least halftime. George Pickens and Calvin Austin III figure to see more targets with Jefferson absent currently.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (illness) returned to a full practice on Thursday after he sat out of the first practice of the week while being under the weather. Ridley is already feeling better and should be just fine to play this weekend against the division-rival Houston Texans on Sunday. The 29-year-old is Tennessee's unquestioned WR1 when healthy and he'll be looking to make a statement in the team's first meeting against the Texans in 2024. The matchup is a nice one, as the Texans defense is allowing the seventh-most half-PPR points per game (30.1) to receivers this season. Ridley should be treated as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3/flex in Week 12. Most of his production in his first year in Tennessee has come more recently, including his 143-yard performance and his two-touchdown day on Nov. 10.