Life without running back Derrick Henry didn’t get off to a great start for the Tennessee Titans, at least as far as the team’s rushing attack is concerned.
While the Titans did notch an upset victory over the Los Angeles Rams, the team saw its rushing attack struggle en route to totaling just 69 yards on 29 carries (2.7 yards per carry).
Tennessee deployed three running backs throughout in Jeremy McNichols, Adrian Peterson and D’Onta Foreman. Peterson led the way with 10 carries, followed by McNichols’ seven (and three catches) and Foreman’s five.
Despite getting the most carries, Peterson did not look like the best back. Instead, it was Foreman, who passed the eye test and posted the best numbers on the stat sheet.
With all that in mind, can fantasy managers deploy any of these three backs on Sunday in what will be a difficult matchup against the New Orleans Saints? Let’s find out now as we go over some start or sit advice.
Jeremy McNichols: Sit
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McNichols saw the second-most carries in Week 10 and had 10 touches overall, but he turned those into just 32 total yards. As of right now, there simply isn’t enough of a guarantee here to deploy McNichols.
At best, he’s a dart-throw flex play in PPR, but isn’t a viable option in any way, shape or form in standard formats.
McNichols is best left on your bench this week as we continue to wait and see how things shake out in the Titans’ backfield. Making this decision even easier is the fact that the Saints sport the league’s No. 1 rush defense.
Adrian Peterson: Sit
AP Photo/Ashley Landis
It was a good sign for fantasy managers who have a stake in Peterson to see the veteran lead the team in carries with 10 and score a touchdown, but there isn’t much to get excited about after that.
Peterson, who averaged just 2.1 yards per carry, didn’t look good as a runner, something we mostly attribute to rust. He was running high, making himself easier to tackle, and he was routinely running into the backs of his offensive linemen.
At best, Peterson is a touchdown-dependent, dart-throw flex play until we see him take a stranglehold on the backfield, something he failed to do in his first game. We don’t expect that to happen in Week 10, with the Titans meeting a Saints defense that is elite against the run.
D’Onta Foreman: Sit
AP Photo/Kyusung Gong
We’re 3-for-3 in telling you to sit Titans running backs this week; however, we believe Foreman has the best chance to take control of the backfield moving forward.
Foreman (five carries) had a team-high 5.8 yards per carry and 29 yards despite handling less carries than McNichols (seven) and Peterson (10).
Moreover, he looked like the best runner of the three, as his explosiveness and tough running was on display, and he nearly broke a big run but slipped before he could hit the open field.
Head coach Mike Vrabel has said the Titans will ride the hot hand, and so far Foreman looks to be the hottest of the bunch.
If you haven’t done so already, make sure you get some stock in Foreman if you have a spot on your bench. He could very well take this backfield over, or at least garner the majority of the carries over Peterson and McNichols.
As far as this week is concerned, don’t start him. Seeing just five carries isn’t enough to inspire confidence, and this matchup against the Saints is about as bad as it gets, with New Orleans sporting the No. 1 run defense.
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