Fantasy Football Player Notes

Yes, Derrick Henry finished with 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns last year en route to a No. 3 finish. Yes, he was dominant in the playoffs. We still can't forget that he was the No. 14 running back in points per game before Week 10 last year, behind David Johnson and Mark Ingram. Should we automatically assume Henry picks up where he left off in 2019? My issue with Henry is that he's not involved in the passing-game, which lowers his weekly floor. That alone will allow us to choose someone like Alvin Kamara over him. Henry is best-suited as a second-round pick rather than one in the first round.

We all know Brown was a monster over the second half of the season, finishing as the No. 8 wide receiver from Week 7 through Week 16. The issue... he was 47th in targets over that span. That screams regression. While he should progress as a player in his second season, we must anticipate regression with his efficiency. In a run-first offense, Brown should be considered a WR2/3 with upside for more.

Tannehill is coming off one of the most efficient seasons of all-time. What most don't realize is that he's been pretty efficient throughout the course of his career, though injuries haven't allowed him to stay on the field. His career QB Rating is actually higher than Matthew Stafford. Now firmly entrenched as the starter in Tennessee, will he become a fantasy star? The concern is always going to come to lack of pass attempts. If he'd averaged a decent 7.2 yards per attempt last year, he would not have been a consistent fantasy starter. The Titans are not expected to throw the ball 500 times, which means Tannehill would be relying on super high efficiency or his legs to drive his fantasy production. That's a slippery slope on a week-to-week basis, so consider Tannehill a streamer who's unlikely to repeat.

Many compared Smith to someone like Delanie Walker back when he was drafted in 2017. We saw shades of that and even heard Bill Belichick give him props as one of the top tight ends in the league prior to their playoff matchup. Still, he's going to need more than 3-5 targets per game to get into the TE1 conversation. Despite Walker going down for the year, Smith saw more than five targets just twice all season and finished with 44 on the year. With the offense still projected for less than 500 pass attempts, it'll be difficult for Smith to truly break out. He should be considered a strong streamer in good matchups.

Remember when everyone left DeVante Parker for dead? It feels that way with Davis, who is going into the final year of his rookie deal. Unfortunately, he's not on a team that's going to throw the ball 600-plus times like Parker's team did last year. Still, there's an opportunity for increased efficiency with Ryan Tannehill under center and A.J. Brown drawing the opponent's top cornerback. We have watched Davis' yards per target increase each year (5.8, 8.0, 8.7), so you shouldn't abandon all hope. He's someone to stash at the end of your bench.

If you haven't looked at the depth chart behind Derrick Henry in Tennessee, you should know that Evans is the only one who should be considered his handcuff. The Titans have Henry under the franchise tag and haven't worked out a long-term deal, so Evans seems to be in their long-term plans at the position after they drafted him in the third round. He may not be built like a workhorse back, but he's electric in a run-heavy offense. The Titans would be wise to give him 5-10 touches even when Henry is healthy, though there's no guarantee that will be the case.

It's crazy how fast we forget that Humphries was a top-30 wide receiver in 2018. The trade to the Titans was supposed to give him a bigger role, but knowing he saw more than six targets just one time, it's problematic. What's even worse is that his role diminished once Ryan Tannehill was under center. Knowing this is a run-heavy team and one that doesn't consistently have three wide receivers on the field, Humphries should not be considered a fantasy option.