The Tennessee Titans head into the 2014 season with fourth-year quarterback, Jake Locker returning as the starter. This is not exactly earth-shattering exciting news, however Locker is the man in Tennessee, so that’s a fact we have to face.
Can Locker keep his chemistry building with his top wide receiver, Kendall Wright, who is beginning just his third year as a Titan? Additionally, will Locker continue to utilize his tight end, Delanie Walker, who had the most receptions he’s ever had since joining the Titans in 2013?
When it comes to the Titans’ ground game, the team now faces for the first time since 2008, a season without their No. 1 starter, Chris Johnson, who managed an average of well-over 1,000-plus rush yards each season. The Titans now must rely upon veteran running back, Shonn Greene and newly drafted rookie, Bishop Sankey to carry out the ground game.
The Titans finished 2013 second in the AFC South with a 7-9 record, and Locker only playing in seven of the season’s games. He and rest of this crew don’t exactly scream fantasy football must-own status, however, this is a new season, so let’s review the scenario for the Titans key players when it comes to their 2014 fantasy football outlook.
Jake Locker, Quarterback
Perhaps a change in head coach, to Ken Whisenhunt can get the proverbial fire lit under Locker. Under the leadership of Whisenhunt last season, San Diego Chargers’ quarterback, Philip Rivers had a phenomenal come-back year. Where numbers like Rivers’ in 2013 would be a stretch for Locker, he could be poised for a better season under a new offensive coaching system.
One positive here for Locker is that his passer percentage rating increased over four percent from his 2012 to his 2013 season up to 60.7 percent. Locker can also take advantage of Wright’s numbers improving last season, despite the quarterback flux, and Walker becoming more of a reliable red zone target. With that said, Locker could emerge into a solid fantasy backup quarterback soon enough into the 2014 season. However, to consider him a starter for your fantasy team would be a definite risk at this time. Proceed with caution.
Shonn Greene, Running Back
Since Greene has been with the Titans, he shared the field with Johnson, particularly when it came to the goal line carries. We will likely see Greene splitting the field again this season with Sankey. Something to note is that Greene’s numbers fell drastically in 2013 from his previous production. In 11 of the games Greene played last season, he only accumulated 295 rushing yards and averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. He managed four touchdowns, however those were mainly accomplished near the goal line.
Clearly losing steam and fantasy allure as a former 1,000-plus yard back, Greene looks to play second fiddle to Sankey, who will be determined to claim the starting job. With very minimal opportunity to produce any fantasy-worthy numbers Greene should only be drafted for extreme depth in the position in larger leagues.
Bishop Sankey, Running Back
With mainly Greene to rely upon now that the Titans are without Johnson, a running back was a critical need for the team to draft. Enter Sankey out of Washington. This kid racked up over 3,300 rushing yards and scored 36 rush touchdowns in his last two college seasons. These stats come at sweet 5.4 yards per carry to top it off.
It’s only a matter of time before the Titans phase out Greene and let their rookie roam free on the field. Really, what do they have to lose? Sankey is a beast and will easily see the majority of the carries in a lopsided running back by committee situation. He has too much to offer to let him slip too far on the draft boards, making an excellent flex player, or perhaps your RB2 if you choose your wide receivers first.
Kendall Wright, Wide Receiver
Wright was a bargain if you scored him late as a flex player in fantasy drafts last season. Putting up solid yardage with 1,079 receiving yards, Wright proved worthy of owning, despite the Titans’ less-than-ideal quarterback situation. Unfortunately for Wright, his lack of touchdowns, with only two was his downside, causing him to finish as the 30th ranked wide receiver in 2013.
With room to improve, and hopefully a healthy Locker to provide stability, Wright could see a boost to his fantasy numbers this season, provided he can get more looks in the end zone. This, however, is a big if. The Titans currently are not a high-passing team, and if Sankey goes off on the ground, Wright will remain stagnate. He is worth a WR4 selection with the hope that he will evolve into WR3/flex territory as the season unfolds.
Delanie Walker, Tight End
2013 brought Walker, as his first year as a Titan, his best fantasy numbers to date earning him a ranking of 12th among his fellow tight ends. This was all accomplished under a mix of Locker and former Titans’ quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Wright’s 60 receptions are noteworthy, ranking him 10th in this category.
The addition to Whisenhunt as the Titans’ new coach should bode well for Walker. Additionally, Whisenhunt has commented that Walker compares similarly to his former tight end, Antonio Gates. With a fairly shallow pool of reliable tight ends to draft, Walker should suffice with TE2 numbers, and mock drafts show him being drafted in fairly late draft rounds.
Biggest Fantasy Surprise: Justin Hunter, Wide Receiver
Hunter didn’t have a very splashy rookie year in 2013, but he accomplished enough to give us a sampling of his skills going into 2014. At 6’-4”, Hunter stands six inches taller than Wright, which is probably why Hunter, while he was targeted less, scored two more touchdowns than his fellow receiver. Hunter also averaged 19.7 yards per reception compared to Wright’s 11.5.
Wright with his massive height, could be that dark horse fantasy sleeper who pays dividends if you draft him as bench depth. He’s a guy to monitor as training camps take place this month to see how he is clicking with Locker.
Biggest Fantasy Disappointment: Jake Locker, Quarterback
I really don’t like to have to list the teams’ quarterback here, but Locker has not impressed us in his past two years as the Titans’ starter. He has been laden with injuries, and his best numbers are from 2012 where in the 11 games he played, he only passed for 2,176 yards and have 11 interceptions to his 10 touchdowns. Even with Whisenhunt’s leadership, Locker would have to improve immensely to become anyone’s starting quarterback. As I’ve mentioned above, Locker needs to move up the ladder by leaps and bounds just to qualify as a backup quarterback at this time.
If you factor in the Titans’ rush game, and should that really take off with Sankey going crazy on the ground, Locker could really struggle gaining any type of fantasy momentum in 2014.
How the Schedule Impacts Their Outlook
The Titans should take advantage of an easier schedule for 2014. They only face a top 10 defense twice when the play in Kansas City Week 1, and in Cincinnati Week 3. They scrape the bottom barrel 10 lowest ranking defenses in five of their 16 regular season games. Within their own division, Locker will have to face the likes of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, twice when they face the Texans, so fingers crossed, he remains healthy.
Nasty weather shouldn’t be too much of a factor as the Titans’ last four games of the season, consist of three at home and one in the covered Colts’ stadium. Unless a blizzard is scheduled to hit Tennessee, fair weather is on the team’s side.
A bye-week in Week 9 provides a refreshing mid-season break, so it’s up to the team to take advantage of a not-so-daunting schedule and pack on more than the seven wins they produced from 2013.