Tony Pollard: The New Best Value in Fantasy Football

When Will Spears Actually Be Back?

While there’s hope Spears can return to his usual self sooner rather than later, that’s often not the case with high ankle sprains. These injuries are considered one of the most debilitating a player can suffer, with a high risk of reinjury and a significant impact on their performance.

Dr. Jesse Morse, a sports medicine physician who uses his expertise to explain the implications of players’ injuries, says that Spears will likely be out for several weeks and may not return to his usual level of play until the second half of the season.

If this is the case, it has significant implications for what fans can expect from Pollard in fantasy this season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Tony Pollard still shouldered one of the heaviest workloads in the league even when Tyjae Spears was healthy last season, ranking 13th in rushing attempts and 9th in targets among running backs.

When Spears was injured, however, Pollard’s workload skyrocketed. In the six weeks Spears was out last season, Pollard led the league in rushing attempts and was eighth in targets. If Spears misses a substantial amount of time this season, there’s a clear opportunity for Pollard to have a wildly productive year.

Where Could it Go Wrong?

The only thing that could hold him back in this situation is a possible lack of development from the Titans’ offensive line, which finished the 2024 season with the second-worst run-blocking grade in the league, per PFF.

There’s hope that this will improve, with the free agency additions of former Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr and former Baltimore Ravens right guard Kevin Zeitler.

While the quality of an offensive line is often measured by its weakest link, these additions have a broader impact than one might expect. First, having Moore slot in at left tackle allows the Titans’ first-round pick from last year’s draft, J.C. Latham, to return to his natural position on the right side.

Latham was a highly-touted draft prospect heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s NFL Draft expert, ranked Latham as his third overall tackle prospect and thirteenth-best prospect overall in his draft guide. The thing is, Latham played right tackle exclusively during his time at Alabama, and the transition to the left side appeared to be uncomfortable for him based on his struggles throughout his rookie year.

However, Latham is under the tutelage of one of the best offensive line coaches in NFL history, Bill Callahan. Although his inconsistent rookie year wasn’t what Titans fans expected from the seventh overall pick, there is still significant hope that switching to right tackle along with another year under Callahan’s wing can help Latham reach his full potential in 2025. 

With the expected development from Latham and the Titans’ 2023 first-round pick, Peter Skoronski, along with upgrades at left tackle and right guard from Moore and Zeitler, it’s easy to see that the Titans’ offensive line can be a much healthier ecosystem for Pollard to maximize his opportunities in 2025.

Ward’s Arrival and What It Means for Pollard’s Fantasy Ceiling

Another confidence booster is the addition of Cam Ward, the first-overall pick in this year’s draft. Fans are hopeful that Ward will become the franchise quarterback the Titans have been searching for since Steve McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2005.

While Ward might not be able to emerge as a quarterback of that caliber right away, he would have to hit rock bottom to be considered a downgrade from the quarterback play in Tennessee last season. PFF gave the duo of Will Levis and Mason Rudolph a 57.0 offensive grade for their 2024 performance, the lowest mark in the league.

If Ward can come in and deliver a level of play better than bottom-of-the-barrel (which is to be expected from a No. 1 overall pick), it would make significant strides in easing Pollard’s burden, likely leading to fewer stacked boxes and linebackers who don't have their ears peeled back on every play the way they did last season.

While some projection is involved in evaluating Pollard’s fantasy potential for 2025, even if his supporting cast only reaches the lower end of their potential, it would make a world of difference for Pollard’s fantasy outlook. According to FantasyPros, Pollard’s consensus ADP is 26th among running backs. If this offense can improve even slightly from its 2024 performance, don’t be surprised to see Pollard outperform this draft position by a wide margin.