Tony Pollard is leaving Dallas to sign a three-year, $24 million deal with the Titans. He will replace Derrick Henry in Tennessee and share a backfield with Tyjae Spears this season. This is a homecoming for Pollard, who was born in Memphis and played collegiately for the Memphis Tigers.
We'll see if Pollard can improve on a disappointing 2023 when he failed to meet lofty expectations as the No. 1 running back for the Cowboys. In Tennessee, Fantasy managers should consider Pollard a No. 2 running back in all leagues, and he's worth drafting as early as Round 5.
This wasn't the best destination for Pollard to improve his Fantasy value. Spears will continue to have a prominent role with the Titans, but we have to see what new coach Brian Callahan has planned for his backfield.
Last season, Pollard was expected to be a star in Dallas when he was taking over for Ezekiel Elliott. He got off to a good start when he scored at least 15 PPR points in each of his first three games. But after that, Pollard had only six more games with at least 15 PPR points and eight games with nine PPR points or less.
He averaged 12.3 PPR points per game for the season, which was No. 22 among running backs. He finished with 252 carries for 1,005 yards and six touchdowns and 55 catches for 311 yards on 67 targets.
Now, Pollard came into last season coming off a broken leg suffered during the 2022 NFL playoffs. He said he didn't feel "like I was back to my old self" until Week 11, and he closed the year with at least 15 PPR points in five of his final eight games. Hopefully that will carry over to this season when he takes over for Henry.
Henry did well in 2023 for Tennessee at 14.0 PPR points per game, and he rushed 280 times for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns and caught 28 passes for 214 yards on 36 targets. But no one is going to mistake Pollard for Henry.
Pollard (26) is younger than Henry (30), and we'll see what changes Callahan has in store for the Titans. Will Levis will be the starting quarterback all season, and Tennessee has already started to retool its offensive line. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reported Monday that the Titans plan to sign former Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry.
But Pollard's biggest roadblock to success could be Spears. As a rookie last season, Spears had plenty of positive moments, and he rushed 100 times for 453 yards and two touchdowns, with 52 catches for 385 yards and one touchdown on 70 targets. He had four games with at least 11 PPR points in his final six outings of the season.
Many Fantasy managers, myself included, were hoping to see Spears take over as the No. 1 running back in Tennessee. That won't happen now with the addition of Pollard, but I still plan to draft Spears as a high-end handcuff in the Round 9 range in all leagues.
Spears can still be a potential flex option with enough work. He also has lottery-ticket appeal if Pollard is forced to miss any time.
It will be fun to break down the Titans backfield in training camp. Hopefully, this homecoming for Pollard is successful, and Fantasy managers can trust him as a No. 1 option.
But the safe bet is to draft him as a No. 2 running back in all leagues with moderate expectations. Let's hope that Pollard surprises us in 2024 unlike last year when he was a disappointment.
