Zach Mettenberger replacing Marcus Mariota at quarterback in Week 7 figures to have a profound impact on the Tennessee Titans offense, but it won’t change the fact that Tennessee has become a black hole for fantasy value at running back.
According to ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky, Mettenberger will get the starting nod Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons with Mariota nursing a sprained MCL. The Titans have struggled to run the ball with Mariota in the lineup this season, and that won’t change with him on the sidelines.
The Titans are firmly in the middle of the pack in the NFL as they average 107.6 yards per game on the ground, and they are far from dynamic at four yards per carry.
They have improved slightly from last season when they ranked 26th in rushing offense, but it hasn’t led to fantasy relevance since Tennessee utilizes so many backs.
Antonio Andrews started over Bishop Sankey last week, but as pointed out by Kuharsky, it is inconsequential because of head coach Ken Whisenhunt’s by-committee approach.
Andrews, Sankey and Dexter McCluster all receive playing time for the Titans; however, none of them has managed to set himself apart from the pack, as evidenced by this breakdown of the stats thus far:
Sankey—whom the Titans selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft—was expected to be the bell-cow back in 2015, but that hasn’t come to fruition.
Per Joe Dolan of SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, Sankey‘s production has been in sharp decline since a strong Week 1 performance:
With McCluster cutting into some of the passing-down work, Andrews vulturing short-yardage and goal-line work and Sankey getting what’s left, there simply aren’t enough touches to go around.
The only thing fantasy owners who are desperate for an answer at running back this week can hang their hats on is the fact that Mettenberger may keep opposing defenses honest a bit more than Mariota.
While the rookie signal-caller primarily utilizes short passes, ESPN’s Adam Caplan sees Mettenberger taking some shots down the field Sunday.
That could keep extra defenders out of the box, but it will also hurt Tennessee’s running backs when it comes to passing-game production since Mettenberger is less likely to settle for checkdowns.
Despite the fact that Mettenberger is 0-6 in his NFL career as a starter, Whisenhunt insists the team is comfortable with him under center, according to Kuharsky:
I think there is a good confidence level in Zach. He had a really good preseason. He’s been around the guys, there’s a good energy in that room with the quarterbacks. It’s a good feeling with those guys. So they all support each other, and we feel good. … We’re confident in Zach, and he’s worked really hard physically. You can see it. He moves around better, he’s throwing it well.
Whisenhunt may be speaking honestly, but it doesn’t change the fact that he has turned the Titans into a fantasy wasteland as far as running backs are concerned.
No quarterback on the roster will change that, and much of that is due to Tennessee not boasting a true stud in the backfield.
Even if your fantasy team is ravaged by injuries and byes at running back, investing in the Titans’ running back situation isn’t advisable since it is such a crapshoot.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
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