Jeff Mueller called Tyjae Spears an easy fade. The running back is still in a CAM boot, using a scooter, and not yet weight-bearing—signs the high-ankle sprain has a long road to recovery. History shows the injury saps explosiveness for months, and Mueller doubts Spears will be trustworthy for more than two to four games all season. Given the Titans’ depth chart he would rather draft Tony Pollard or simply move on to healthier backs.

Josh refused to click Tyjae Spears in Round 11, calling high-ankle sprains “the stone-cold worst” for a runner who wins with violent lateral cuts. Spears already carried durability flags—size concerns and a previous ACL issue—and another lower-body injury gives coaches a fresh excuse to limit him. At the same price he prefers upside swings such as Braylon Allen, Austin Ekeler, Bhayshul Tuten or Jaden Blue, arguing those backs offer clearer paths to expanded roles while Spears’ volatility could leave a roster spot dead early in the season.

Kevin Szafraniec remained bullish on Tyjae Spears despite the recent high-ankle sprain. He reminded listeners that Spears was a top-12 running back during last year’s fantasy playoffs, averaging 16.3 opportunities and 20.7 PPR points over Weeks 15-17 without ever exceeding 20 touches. Kevin compared the current Tennessee backfield to the old Dallas split, arguing that Tony Pollard’s efficiency has cratered—Pollard ranked 145th in Fantasy Points Over Expectation in 2023 after top-10 finishes in 2021-22—making Spears the new explosive complement who can win weeks on limited work. Because Spears’ production is driven by targets and explosive plays rather than raw volume, Kevin sees him as a perfect Best-Ball swing for late-season tournaments where one spike week can advance a team.

Siegele advised using the next week to scoop up Tyjae Spears at a discount after his high-ankle sprain. Team doctors expect Spears to miss only “a few weeks,” so Siegele views the injury as a temporary buying window, not a long-term concern. In a recent best-ball tournament with Connor O’Driscoll he landed Spears two rounds after ADP and expects that overreaction to persist. Because he still projects Spears for the same explosive change-of-pace role once healthy, Siegele says the markdown more than offsets the short absence and makes Spears one of the best values on the board.

Hayden Winks dropped Tyjae Spears into the fringe RB4 tier, grouping him with Trey Benson and Jerome Ford. The high-ankle sprain could linger 4–6 weeks, and Winks highlighted Spears’ durability red flags: one functioning ACL, light frame, and now a compromised ankle. With Pollard monopolizing snaps and Spears unlikely to be at full explosiveness when he returns, Winks sees minimal early-season utility and limited upside even later.

Muntradamus likened Spears to a bigger, faster Darren Sproles and expects Tennessee to feature him whenever they’re trailing – a likely scenario. With Tony Pollard showing wear, Spears should collect dump-offs, screens, and broken-play targets that stack cheap PPR points for late-round drafters.

Matthew Freedman said Tyjae Spears is one of the best ninth-round targets in 14-team PPR because his 50-target, 136.9-point projection (RB32) is being drafted at RB41 (ADP 123.3). Freedman reminded readers that when Tony Pollard was injured in Weeks 15-17 last season Spears turned an 82 Utilization Score into 261 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns on just 34 carries and 15 targets. With the Titans expected to split the backfield and the chance Pollard misses time, Freedman believes Spears could steal the job outright and become an every-week fantasy starter while costing very little draft capital.

Dwain McFarland urged managers to draft Tyjae Spears at his 123 ADP, citing both standalone and contingency value. Spears averaged 20.7 fantasy points per game from Weeks 15-17 last season while claiming a 14 percent target share and an 11 percent explosive rush rate (13 percent the season before) despite playing through injuries. Tennessee’s staff discussed a 1A/1B arrangement with Tony Pollard last preseason but never had both backs healthy; McFarland expects the split to materialize in 2025 and believes Spears could easily occupy the 1A role thanks to his three-down skill set and home-run ability. Should Pollard miss time, the late-season sample already proved Spears’ league-winning ceiling, making him both a flex-worthy weekly play and one of the most valuable injury hedges on the board.

Best Ball Guy said Tyjae Spears is one of his favorite discount targets right now. Last summer Spears was being drafted right next to Tony Pollard, but an early-season injury pushed his 2025 price down several rounds. The tout called this a classic “flop-lag” situation where the market forgets the original prospect profile. Spears still owns one of the best explosive-play rates in the class, caught passes in college, and now offers cheap bell-cow upside if the veteran in front of him falters. BBG urged drafters to “buy the dip” because the talent never changed, only the ADP.

Pete Overzet paired Tyjae Spears with Jaylen Warren, noting Spears may already command a 50/50 workload alongside Tony Pollard. Spears’ pass-game role secures the high-value touches, and Overzet highlighted that the back would project as a weekly RB1 if Pollard were sidelined. He considers Spears one of the stronger Zero-RB targets available after Round 9 because he offers both standalone usability and contingent upside in Tennessee’s new outside-zone scheme.

Freedman highlighted Spears’ Weeks 15-17 cameo—261 yards and 4 TDs on 34 carries plus 15 targets, good for an 82 Utilization Score—as evidence he can produce if Tony Pollard falters. He projects a near 50/50 workload split out of the gate and an every-down role should Pollard miss time, labeling Spears a potential league winner.

Jeremy Fowler said Tennessee ran a 75-25 split between Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears last season, but staffers now expect a noticeable shift toward Spears. He carried 84 times with 30 receptions in 2024; coaches believe something near 100 carries is realistic after watching him explode through holes all camp. Pollard is still the feature back, yet Fowler stressed that Spears’ efficiency and expanding role make him a viable every-week flex and an injury-proof stash.

Best Ball Guy said Tyjae Spears is a smash mid-round pick because last year’s knee concerns have pushed his 2025 ADP down even though the team’s only addition was seventh-rounder Kaleo Mullings. Spears is already getting camp buzz while the veteran ahead of him, Tony Pollard, is another year older and finished 2024 banged-up. With no meaningful competition and a clear path to touches if Pollard falters, Best Ball Guy views Spears as a potential league-winning back at a big discount.

Jeremy Fowler observed Tyjae Spears ripping through holes in Titans camp and said the staff is bracing for a sizeable workload bump. Spears logged 84 rushes and 30 receptions last year despite missing five games. Fowler believes 100 carries is a realistic baseline if the 28-year-old Tony Pollard continues to look ordinary. Given Spears’ explosiveness and three-down skill set, Fowler recommended drafting him as an RB4 with league-winning upside should Pollard falter or miss time.

PPRTyler called Tyjae Spears a classic post-hype sleeper and took him over Rhamondre Stevenson. Spears was going around pick 100 last year but now comes at a 20-pick discount, even though he famously outscored both Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry across Weeks 16-17. Tyler noted Tennessee has upgraded its offensive line and swapped out Will Levis and Mason Rudolph for Cam Ward, creating what he expects to be a far more functional offense. With Stevenson "fumbling all over the place" and the roster already loaded with veterans, Tyler preferred the upside of a healthy Spears in best-ball tournaments.

Candayman endorsed Tyjae Spears as one of the best late-round swings in Best Ball Mania. He pulled up Spears’ 24- and 20-point outings from Weeks 15-16 last year, noting those performances topped Derrick Henry on roughly a 50 % snap share. Candayman emphasized Spears’ explosive receiving profile and reminded listeners that the Titans’ offense could take a step forward if rookie Cam Ward hits, creating more high-value touches. The takeaway: Spears already owns weekly RB1 upside in a committee and carries league-winning potential if he ever captures the full workload, all while costing a fraction of Henry’s ADP.

Candayman argued that Tyjae Spears is being mis-priced. He believes Spears should go "much closer to Rachaad White than to Zach Charbonnet" because the Titans’ offensive line is "so much superior" to Seattle’s and provides Spears both contingent and standalone value. He reminded listeners that Spears posted a 28-point week during last year’s best-ball playoffs and was on the $20k winning roster, demonstrating true slate-breaking upside. With the veteran starter now 28 years old and Spears only 23, plus the possibility of improved quarterback play from Mason Rudolph or Will Levis, Candayman sees an inexpensive pick who could turn into a weekly RB2 or better if the depth chart breaks his way.

Shawn Siegele called Tyjae Spears a must-draft at RB39. Spears’ three-year production arc includes 1,837 scrimmage yards, 21 TDs and an 85% RB dominator at Tulane, plus 2.0 yards per route run and the nation’s No. 2 receiving-evasion rate. In the NFL he logged +14 fantasy points over expected on limited work while Tony Pollard, the new committee mate, was -18. Spears finished 2024 with 27-, 21- and 13-point fantasy weeks, owns top-3 receiving-evasion metrics, and Titans beat writers report he’s through last year’s personal issues and earning praise from the new staff. Siegele expects a run-centric offense that leans on Spears’ explosiveness, viewing him as a league-winner if Pollard falters and an underpriced flex even if the committee holds.

Tyjae Spears’ 124.8 ADP is too rich for Mario Puig, who praised Spears’ elite make-you-miss ability but highlighted his severe health red flags: a sub-200-pound frame, an arthritic knee with no ACL (per Ian Rapoport), and two documented concussions in 2024. Puig argued that Tennessee will always cap Spears’ workload to preserve that knee, permanently lowering his ceiling compared to sturdier backs. With 20-touch candidates like Rhamondre Stevenson (122.8) and Javonte Williams (129.6) priced in the same neighborhood, Puig urged drafters to treat Spears as a risky bench spark plug, not a core best-ball asset.

Hayden Winks highlighted Tyjae Spears as a cheap, high-ceiling swing. He expects Spears to "play a little bit more" behind an offensive line that "looks better" after offseason moves and thinks the addition of Cam Ward can spark the offense. Because injuries have capped Spears' sample to this point, Winks believes the market still has not seen his true ceiling and is scooping him up in the final rounds of zero-RB and best-ball drafts.

Jim Coventry tagged Tyjae Spears as a sneaky depth piece because the sophomore will serve as a "very nice compliment" to Tony Pollard and still see enough designed work to matter. Coventry expects the coaching staff to keep Spears involved as a change-of-pace weapon who can collect receptions and spell Pollard on early downs, giving him weekly flex appeal in deeper season-long formats.

Pat Kerrane explained that grabbing Tyjae Spears a round or two after drafting Tony Pollard effectively turns the Titans backfield into one roster slot that will score every week. Pollard still profiles as the early-down leader while Spears retains the explosive pass-game role he showed as a rookie (9% target share, 1.63 YPRR). Because the duo costs far less than traditional ‘bell cow’ backs, Kerrane believes the combo supplies a stable RB1 floor that lets drafters ignore mid-tier cloggers like Rachaad White and instead swing for ceiling at other positions. In a best-ball room where running-back points most often enter the flex, the inexpensive Pollard-Spears handcuff frees capital for higher-variance bets elsewhere without sacrificing weekly production.

Colm Kelly explained why he is loading up on Tyjae Spears while fading Tony Pollard entirely. Pollard’s Round-7 sticker price forces drafters to bypass a juicy wide-receiver pocket and hinges on a "very narrow path" to league-winning upside—essentially that he holds early-down work, regains explosion and dodges goal-line vultures. Spears, meanwhile, slides into early Round 10, giving managers a three-round discount plus roster-flexibility to attack WR beforehand. Kelly likes the way Spears fits common build structures: in best ball he happily "auto-clicks" the second-year back for spike-week potential, and in redraft he will still reach when roster construction calls for a high-upside RB4. With Spears already showing superior elusiveness and pass-game chops last year, Kelly believes the talent gap is minimal, the price gap massive, and the probability Spears overtakes Pollard as the Titans’ fantasy back to own only grows as the season progresses.

Siegele prefers Tyjae Spears at his early-10th-round cost over new teammate Tony Pollard. Spears doubled Pollard’s evasion rate last year (roughly 24% to 12%), posted +1.2 fantasy points over expected per game despite a bad Titans offense, and flashed his ceiling with 27- and 22-point eruptions in Weeks 15-16. Meanwhile Pollard managed 4.2 YPC and negative fantasy efficiency, numbers Siegele views as unacceptable for a supposedly explosive back the team will still want to cap at ~225 touches. Spears also graded miles better as a receiver, foreshadowing a larger share of Tennessee’s high-value touches. Siegele acknowledged medical concerns around Spears’ knee but argued the Titans telegraphed usage by signing 250-pound plodders for goal-line work—limiting Pollard while leaving high-leverage passing downs to Spears. At three rounds cheaper, Spears offers the same—or higher—weekly upside with far less opportunity cost.

JSU said Tyjae Spears is the running back to hammer in the RB30-plus range of DraftKings best-ball rooms. He reminded listeners that Tennessee’s revamped offensive line still projects to rank top-10 in run-blocking win rate, but the backfield pecking order is anything but settled after the team paid only mid-tier money for Tony Pollard. JSU noted that if the touches tilt even 55-45 instead of a Pollard bell-cow scenario, Pollard’s Round-7 price becomes a landmine while Spears’ double-digit ADP turns into a smash. He compared the situation to last year’s Panthers backfield, where late-round Chuba Hubbard jumped a fading veteran and finished as an every-week flex. Spears already handled most of the two-minute work as a rookie, owns a 2.02 yards-per-route mark that ranked fourth among backs with 40-plus targets, and racked up 17 broken tackles on just 143 touches. JSU argued that type of explosiveness plus a realistic path to winning the job outright gives Spears multiple ways to beat his cost and provide tournament-winning spike weeks.

Ian Hartitz projected the Titans to dial back Tony Pollard’s 2024 workhorse usage and give Tyjae Spears more touches in 2025. He noted that Pollard wore down and again dealt with minor injuries, while Spears—despite playing hurt—finished RB5 overall in PPR scoring during the fantasy playoffs. Hartitz believes Tennessee prefers a near-even backfield split similar to Mike Vrabel’s old Henry–Hilliard rotations. In that setup Spears would see enough weekly snaps to be a usable RB4/FLEX, with league-winning upside if Pollard misses time. He framed Spears as this year’s “Chase Brown”—a high-leverage handcuff worth stashing in Best Ball and late-round season-long builds.

Hayden Winks is back in on Tyjae Spears, calling 2024 the perfect time to buy after two quiet seasons chased casual drafters away. Winks expects Tennessee’s retooled offensive line and an upgraded quarterback room to unlock the explosive plays Spears flashed as a rookie. With Derrick Henry gone, only Tony Pollard and a day-three rookie stand between Spears and 15-touch workloads, and his pass-catching skill set keeps him on the field in negative scripts. Winks is scooping Spears around pick 100, forecasting multiple 20-point games that can vault best-ball teams into Underdog’s playoff rounds.

Ian Hartitz labeled Tyjae Spears his favorite mid-round hybrid play—usable in the flex now with league-winning upside later. The Titans talked up a 50/50 "1A-1B" split all last year, and whenever Spears was healthy he played big snaps, including a 63% rate in Week 16 before a concussion and an overall RB5 finish in fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17). Coaches showed they are comfortable leaving either back on the field for entire drives—Tony Pollard topped 90% once, Spears was headed there before injuries. If Pollard misses time, Hartitz projects Spears for 18 touches and top-12 weekly finishes. Even without an injury, 10–12 carries plus 4–5 targets keeps him viable. He compared the profile to Chase Brown’s late-season eruption and is scooping Spears where others chase sexier names.

Tyler Knaeble called Tyjae Spears a slam-dunk upside pick in Best Ball builds. Knaeble reminded viewers that when Tony Pollard missed time late last season, Spears produced two separate top-3 weekly finishes (Week 15 and Week 17), proving he can swing playoff rounds as a standalone starter. With Pollard now projected for feature-back work in Tennessee, Knaeble views Spears as the clear contingency play who would immediately inherit goal-line and every-down snaps if Pollard goes down. Because of that asymmetric payoff and a current late-round ADP, Knaeble said he is comfortable hammering Spears wherever he needs running-back juice.

Billy Jones said he is actively drafting Tyjae Spears at his current Round-13 price, arguing the sophomore back’s 2024 setup is identical to last year but in a noticeably better offense. Tennessee replaced Derrick Henry with Tony Pollard yet retained the same snap split—Spears already handled 48 % of third-down snaps and caught 52 passes as a rookie. Billy expects the Titans to run more plays and create more red-zone trips under new coordinator Brian Callahan, giving Spears an outside shot at 70+ targets and 6–8 total touchdowns. With half-PPR scoring emphasizing receptions, Jones sees Spears as the kind of weekly FLEX scorer who can buoy running-back-light Best Ball builds without ever cracking pick 120.