Analyze Tyjae Spears's matchup for week 7
Spears has logged only 9 touches in two games since returning from a high-ankle sprain and is playing under 30 % of snaps while Tony Pollard dominates the backfield, making him unplayable in most formats.
The Patriots visit Tennessee in Week 7, but even a plus-on-paper matchup can’t offset Spears’ microscopic role. He’s averaged 4.5 touches and 22 scrimmage yards since coming back, operating strictly as a change-of-pace behind Pollard, who’s handled 90 % of RB snaps at peak. If the Titans fall behind—likely for a 1-5 team—passing-down work will still funnel through Pollard, capping Spears’ already-minimal ceiling. Expect 6-10 touches at best in a low-volume, low-scoring offense that ranks dead last in yards and points.
Two games post-injury: 9 total touches, 45 scrimmage yards, zero TDs, <30 % snap share; efficiency up (6.2 YPC in Week 6) but volume non-existent.
Volume is the lifeblood of fantasy scoring, and Spears simply isn’t getting any. Through six weeks the Titans have made it clear Tony Pollard is the uncontested lead, relegating Spears to a 25-30 % snap cameo. Even in a home date with a middling Patriots run defense, that usage caps Spears at a 4-6-point weekly projection—well below any viable flex threshold in 10- or 12-team leagues. Coach Brian Callahan’s promised “healthier division of labor” has yet to appear, and until it does, Spears’ 2024 end-of-season flourish (20.7 PPR over his final three healthy games) remains a distant memory rather than a looming repeat.
Game-script risk further erodes his value. Tennessee is a one-win team whose offense stalls on early downs; negative scripts usually push pass-catching backs into action, but Pollard has absorbed that role too, leaving Spears without a defined path to even 5-6 targets. Add in an offensive line that’s struggled to create space (Titans rank bottom-five in adjusted line yards), and Spears would need both a Pollard injury and a positive game flow to crack double-digit touches—neither of which is predictable enough to warrant a roster spot for Week 7.
Bottom line: Spears is a bench stash only in 14-team dynasty or ultra-deep redraft formats. In standard 10- and 12-team leagues he’s an easy drop for any upside handcuff or bye-week replacement who projects for double the touch count. Until snap share climbs above 40 % or the Titans commit to a true timeshare, starting him is chasing a one-play touchdown dart-throw that’s far more likely to net a donut than a spike week.