Fantasy Football Player Notes

Drafting Carnell Tate is a bet on talent and Cam Ward's ability to take off in his second season with Brian Daboll calling plays. I want to bet on Tate as I'm in love with the talent. Tate is an amazing route runner who can separate at all three levels of the field after ranking tenth in yards per route run and fourth in receiving grade last season (per PFF). He finished college with an otherworldly 68.8% contested catch rate, and he had zero drops in his final season despite a 14.6 aDOT. Tate will have to contend with Wan'Dale Robinson and Calvin Ridley for the WR1 spot in the Tennessee offense, but he has the talent to be the clear WR1 from Week 1. It just comes down to how quickly he can hit the ground running and how many weapons can Ward support in 2026. I'll be drafting Tate a ton.

Tony Pollard remains the clear leadback for the Titans entering the 2026 season. Last year, he ranked 15th in snap share, 17th in opportunity share, and 16th in weighted opportunities, but because of the putrid offensive situation he found himself in, he was only the RB29 in fantasy points per game. This can be traced to his five total touchdowns, which were a result of an offense that was 30th in points per game and 32nd in red zone scoring attempts per game, so it makes sense that he also ranked 49th in red zone touches. Pollard was still solid on a per-touch basis. Among 49 qualifying backs, he ranked 25th in explosive run rate and 22nd in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). Brian Daboll, his new offensive coordinator, has historically ridden one running back in his offenses, and Pollard looks to be that guy this season. Pollard should find running room in 2026 with Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson added to the passing game, improved play from Cam Ward, and an offensive line that last year was quietly 13th-best in yards before contact per attempt. Pollard will be lingering in the RB3 range in plenty of drafts, but I think he returns strong RB2 value and production this season.

Last year, Wan'Dale Robinson had his best season to date, easily, with a true breakout campaign as the WR14 in fantasy points per game. Among 109 qualifying receivers, he ranked 11th in target share (26.8%), 15th in receiving yards per game (63.4), 28th in yards per route run (1.94), and 11th in first-read share (32.9%, per Fantasy Points Data). A huge change for Robinson was that he wasn't just a checkdown or underneath option anymore, as his aDOT rose to 8.7 and he was 21st among that sample of receivers in deep targets. This season, Robinson will have more target competition alongside Carnell Tate and Calvin Ridley, but I expect him to be the clear WR2 in the offense. It's wonderful that he stays tied to Brian Daboll in Tennessee, who oversaw his breakout and usage last year, which gives me hope for his 2026 outlook. His floor and ceiling this season will be tied to Cam Ward taking a big step with this new coaching staff. If that happens, Robinson could be a weekly WR2/3 this season.

Cam Ward had a rough rookie season, but he was also airdropped into a horrible situation. Calvin Ridley was the only dependable receiver that he had entering the season, and he was limited to only seven games played. Ward was the QB33 in fantasy points per game with only one week as a QB1 in weekly scoring. Even when Ward's play improved marginally in Weeks 12-18, it wasn't amazing. During that stretch, among 30 qualifying passers, he was 15th in adjusted completion rate, 22nd in highly accurate throw rate, 26th in catchable target rate, and 23rd in hero throw rate (per Fantasy Points Data). I have hope left for Ward, though. This offseason, the Titans overhauled the receiver room and the coaching staff, bringing in quarterback whisperer Brian Daboll with new head coach Robert Saleh to change the direction of the franchise. I have a ton of respect for Daboll with young quarterbacks after his work with Josh Allen, Daniel Jones, and Jaxson Dart. With Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson added to the receiver room, Ward should have a solid starting trio of receivers to lean on. Ward is a nice late-round lottery ticket for fantasy in 2026.

Calvin Ridley's 2025 season was crushed by a hamstring injury and a broken fibula. Last year, we only got to see him on the field in a full-time capacity in Weeks 1-5. During that sample, Ridley had a 19.5% target share, 54.4 receiving yards per game, 1.89 yards per route run, a 26.7% first-read share, and 0.076 first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Entering his age-32 season, I'm not expecting Ridley to be a last-round league winner in 2026, but he could easily become a decent flex play this season if Cam Ward can become the player that we hoped he would be with Brian Daboll. Even in the rosiest of circumstances, though, Ward supporting three wide receivers in fantasy on a weekly basis is probably asking way too much of him.

Second-year man Gunnar Helm sits atop the Titans' depth chart at tight end now that veteran Chig Okonkwo has moved on to Washington via free agency. A fourth-round pick out of the University Of Texas, Helm turned in a solid if unspectacular rookie season, catching 44 passes for 357 yards and two touchdown in an offense that struggled for much of the season. Helm caught 80% of his targets and averaged a respectable 1.45 yards per route run. Titans QB Cam Ward had a rough rookie season overall but played much better late in the season. If Ward can continue to make strides, Helm could become a fantasy-viable TE option in 2026.