What a snooze fest the NFL chose for the finale of Monday Night Football. The Tennessee Titans (4-9) host the New York Jets (6-7) in a game that promises to draw one of the lowest ratings of the season. While New York is still in the "playoff hunt" no one seriously expect the Mark Sanchez-led Jets to be serious players moving forward.
The Jets have won two consecutive games in unimpressive fashion. Meanwhile, Tennessee came into 2012 with high expectations, but has struggled a great deal on both sides of the ball. Its defense ranks among the worst in the National Football League and its passing game on offense has failed to get it going.
If you have anyone from either of these teams in your starting lineup, with the possible exception of Chris Johnson, you could be in trouble.
Let's take a look at the fantasy outlook for what promises to be the antithesis of last night's epic New England Patriots-San Francisco 49ers matchup.
The Quarterbacks
Don't expect too much here. Mark Sanchez is the worst fantasy quarterback that has started every game this season. The struggling Jets' signal caller is averaging less than nine fantasy points per outing. He has finished either in the negative points category or with less than one point three times this season. Following a 20 point performance against the Buffalo Bills in the season opener, Sanchez has averaged less than eight fantasy points in the last 12 games.
If you are a diehard Jets fan and have decided to win or lose with them , you have already loss your fantasy season. If you aren't a Jets fan, Sanchez is pretty much a non-factor.
Jake Locker has done a bit better, but injuries have kept the second-year quarterback from making a real impact for Tennessee. After starting out the season with four touchdowns compared to two interceptions in his first three outings, Locker has struggled since returning from injury. He has thrown three touchdowns and seven interceptions in his last seven games. That really isn't going to get it done for the Titans. That being said, Locker is averaging 14 fantasy points in his last four games. This doesn't mean anyone should be relying on him.
The Running Game
This could be a huge performance for the enigmatic Chris Johnson, who has been one of the most inconsistent fantasy running backs this season. He is going up against a 29th ranked New York rush defense that has yielded over 120 yards on the ground eight times this season.
For his part, Johnson doesn't really exude the confidence of a true RB1 option. While Johnson does rank 15th among running backs in fantasy points, he has put up less than six points six different times this season; including his last two games. Considering where the former NFL Rushing Champion was drafted, you are probably going to have to bit the bullet. On that note, I am still expecting Johnson to have a good performance. Expect over 100 rushing yards and a score.
Shonn Greene and Bilal Powell represent a decent tandem in the Jets backfield, but they could counteract one another in terms of fantasy production tonight. Neither are anywhere near RB1 options, but do intrigue me as decent FLEX guys
Greene is averaging over 83 yards on the ground in his last six games, while Powell is averaging over 62 total yards in the last four games. Expect the Jets to utilize this duo a great deal tonight with Sanchez still struggling under center. After all, they must win this game in order to remain alive in the AFC playoff race. Why not go with their strength, which obviously isn't the quarterback?
Other Notes
With Dustin Keller and Jared Cook out of this game, don't expect much fantasy production from backup tight ends. Jeff Cumberland is averaging just six fantasy points for the Jets since taking over for Keller, while Craig Stevens leaves a lot to be desired for Tennessee.
Neither team has a wide receiver who ranks in the top 40 in fantasy points at that position. Jeremy Kerley could be a solid FLEX guy if the Jets had a halfway decent quarterback. It makes absolutely no sense to rely on Sanchez to get the ball to anyone on the outside. Tennessee's top outside target is Nate Washington, who caught just one pass last week. He isn't anywhere near consistent enough to be a viable fantasy player.
Braylon Edwards returns to the Jets this week after spending the last two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. If you are relying on him for anything, good luck.