If you’re curious about how the Tennessee Titans are viewed in fantasy football, I surveyed some of the top fantasy sites to see how the experts ranked the Titans at their respective positions, how they ranked them overall, and what the average draft positions were.
Following are the results of the survey, after the jump.
RB Chris Johnson
Expert ranking: standard leagues – 1st round, PPR – 1st round
Average Draft Position: standard – 1st round, PPR – 1st round
(Ten picks per round used in this exercise.)
CJ is ranked as a top-ten overall pick but he’s no longer a top-five back. Arian Foster, Ray Rice, LeSean McCoy, Ryan Mathews and Maurice Jones Drew (despite his holdout) are all ahead of CJ in most rankings. CJ is ranked about the same as Darren McFadden on some sites and I personally wouldn’t take CJ as my RB1 with so many good RBs ahead of him and so many other backs (Marshawn Lynch, DeMarco Murray, Matt Forte and Trent Richardson) who you can get in round 2.
The ancient Romans had a saying which is applicable if you’re thinking about drafting CJ for your fantasy team – “caveat emptor” (buyer beware.) If you’re one of those who still have high expectations for CJ, be prepared to see him go in the first round and be willing to spend your first round pick on him if you want him.
WR Kenny Britt
Expert ranking: standard – 6th round, PPR – 5th round
ADP: standard – 7th round, PPR – 8th round
Before last week, according to most fantasy site experts, Britt should have probably been a 50th-60th overall pick, or a sixth-round pick in ten-team leagues. There are 20 to 25 WRs ranked ahead of him. However, it seems that many owners had concerns about him because his average draft position was a little lower than the experts’ rankings.
These rankings and ADPs were based largely before the news of another surgery for Britt and an arrest for DUI. Not only are there health concerns but there is now also the possibility of a suspension. Expect Britt’s stock to fall further when the experts re-rank their players. Britt’s ADP should also fall accordingly.
While the news is not good for Britt and for Titans fans, it should also be looked at as an opportunity if you’re in a keeper or dynasty league. You should be able to buy low this year and have potentially high rewards in future years.
WR Nate Washington
Expert ranking: standard – 12th round, PPR – 13th round
ADP: standard – 16th round, PPR – 17th round
Nate had a career year in 2011 but with the addition of Kendall Wright and possible contributions from Britt, don’t expect Washington to repeat last year’s numbers. Most sites have Nate ranked as the 40th to 50th WR.
Expert ranking: standard – 12th round, PPR – 13th round
ADP: standard – 16th round, PPR – 17th round
TE Jared Cook
Expert ranking: standard – 13th round, PPR – 11th round
ADP: standard – 16th round, PPR – 14th round
Most sites have Cook ranked in the mid-teens among TEs. About half of the league’s starting TEs are ahead of him and about half are behind him. According to both the rankings and ADPs, Cook is valued higher in PPR leagues than in standard scoring formats.
WR Kendall Wright
Expert ranking: standard – 17th round, PPR – 16th round
ADP: standard – 16th round, PPR – 20th round
The Titans’ first-round pick is ranked as about the 60th WR, so he’ll go undrafted in many leagues. Wright is another good option to pick up in later rounds for dynasty leagues.
QB Jake Locker
Expert ranking: standard – 19th round, PPR – 20th round
ADP: standard – undrafted, PPR – undrafted
Although the starting quarterback position is up for grabs, Locker is the favorite among fantasy experts and owners. Most draft sites rank Locker in the mid to late 20s. He’s definitely not starter material in standard fantasy leagues and I wouldn’t draft him unless you’re in one of those crazy leagues with multiple starting QBs. If you like Locker’s upside, consider him for your keeper/dynasty teams.
K Rob Bironas
Expert ranking: standard – 20th round, PPR – unranked (overall)
ADP: standard – 15th round, PPR – undrafted
A few sites have Bironas ranked as a top ten kicker but he’s generally regarded in the 10th-16th range. He’s ranked in the upper half of the league’s kickers, but not by much. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the value of a kicker diminishes when a team scores more touchdowns than field goals in the red zone. As a Titans fan, I’m rooting for the Titans to continue scoring touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. Bironas probably shouldn’t be drafted unless you’re in a deep league with 12 or more teams.
QB Matt Hasselbeck
Expert ranking: standard – 20th round, PPR – unranked (overall)
ADP: standard – undrafted, PPR – undrafted
Some sites have Hass ranked around 30th (with Locker around 25th), so there’s still a little love left for him. On those sites, he’s ranked ahead of Blaine Gabbert, Cleveland’s Brandon Weeden/Colt McCoy and Miami’s Matt Moore/Ryan Tannehill.
Defense / Special Teams – Forget about it. The Titans defense/special teams aren’t ranked in the top 20 by most sites. Since fantasy points are earned through big plays (sacks, fumbles, interceptions, touchdowns) the experts’ view is not encouraging for Titans fans.
Fantasy sites surveyed included Ask The Commish, Athlon Sports, CBS Sports, EDSFootball, ESPN, Football Guys, Pro Football Focus, The Fake Football, Win My Fantasy League and Yahoo Sports, among others.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
