The Tennessee Titans’ offense is off to a brutal start to the 2022 campaign after dropping their first two contests to the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills.
Running back Derrick Henry has been stifled to say the least. The King has found the end zone once, but has just 107 yards and 3.1 yards per carry through two games.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been equally disappointing. After a 266-yard, two touchdown performance in Week 1, Tannehill was limited to just 117 and two picks through the air in Week 2.
Tennessee’s 2022 first-round pick, wide receiver Treylon Burks, has certainly shown flashes in two games and looks to be the team’s No. 1 option right now, but the team’s offensive struggles have kept his production limited.
The good news is the Titans won’t have such a brutal matchup in Week 3 versus the Raiders, so there’s hope things will turn around in Week 3.
That said, should you be starting any of these players against the Las Vegas Raiders this week? Let’s find out.
RB Derrick Henry: Start
Henry found the end zone for the first time this season in Week 2, and it’s a good thing he did because he tallied just 25 rushing yards and a dreadful 1.9 yards per carry in the game.
Normally we don’t concern ourselves much with Henry’s receiving game output but he isn’t even producing there with zero catches in two games.
The biggest problem is the Titans have done a terrible job blocking for him, as he’s routinely getting hit in the backfield. In fact, he has been hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 17 of his 34 attempts this season.
Despite all the negatives, DO NOT SIT HENRY (sorry for yelling)!
The truth is most of the top-tier backs who were taken early in drafts aren’t off to great starts, either, and The King is fully capable of turning things around quickly. If nothing else, volume should keep him in your lineup.
This is also a favorable matchup for Henry, with the Raiders being tied for the seventh-most fantasy points given up to running backs this season. Las Vegas is also coming off a game in which it allowed 115 yards, one score, and five yards per carry to Arizona Cardinals running backs.
QB Ryan Tannehill: Sit
Tannehill’s passing-game production hasn’t been ideal through two weeks, and we’re not even seeing the usual rushing production that normally gives him a safe floor.
This is actually a favorable matchup for Tannehill. The Raiders are tied for the third-most fantasy points ceded to quarterbacks going into Week 3, allowing 278 yards and two scores per game to the position.
However, as we saw last week, Tennessee’s pass protection has been shoddy at best, and now the offensive line has to deal with top-notch pass-rushers like Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones.
Making matters worse, the Titans appear to have lost their left tackle, Taylor Lewan, for the season.
Thanks to the pass protection issues and the new-look passing attack still getting its feet under it in general, Tannehill is best left out of lineups once again, which is a shame because he has been fine when given time to throw.
WR Treylon Burks: Sit
Burks is definitely making progress and has been one of the biggest bright spots on offense for the Titans through two weeks, but we simply can’t justify starting him in lineups just yet.
Burks has shown a solid rapport with Tannehill, which is good news. The rookie is tied for the team lead in receptions (seven), and leads the team in targets (11) and receiving yards (102).
This is a somewhat favorable matchup for Burks in Week 2, as the Raiders are a middle-of-the-road team when it comes to allowing fantasy points to receivers.
However, we simply haven’t seen enough production from Burks to trust him in lineups just yet. I do have a feeling this is the week he cements himself as Tennessee’s No. 1 and has the best game of his young career, but that’s just a feeling and a feeling alone isn’t enough to start a player in fantasy.
