Roto Arcade - Fantasy

The Juggernaut Index is our annual attempt to rank every NFL team for fantasy purposes. We're not concerned with real-life wins and losses here. No, here we just care about imaginary winning. If an NFL team gains lots of yardage, limits turnovers, and scores when they reach the red zone, then you'll want to own their skill position players in fantasy leagues. You'll find those teams at the top of the Juggernaut Index. We'll begin at No. 32, the worst of the worst, and work our way to the elite fantasy offenses.

These rankings rely on the same variety of hard, incontrovertible math that resulted in the Mustache Rankings, by the way (where Andy Reid got robbed). There are algorithms at work. This stuff is peer-reviewed. Seasons are simulated, the models are adjusted, and the simulations are repeated. You can't argue with science, so don't even try...

31. Tennessee Titans

First of all, Rob Bironas is awesome. Let's make that clear from the very beginning. We (heart) Bironas.

His epic, record-breaking duel with Sage Rosenfels in Week 7 last season will be long remembered.

It's the rest of the Titans who don't really inspire much interest, fantasy-wise.

The same logic that led us to place the Chicago Bears last in this very index forces us to have Tennessee next-to-last. There are no Titans among the top 15 quarterbacks, the top 20 running backs, the top 50 wide receivers, or the top 15 tight ends in the Yahoo! experts composite rankings.

So, as with the Bears, we're telling you that in a 10-team public league, there are no Titans worth starting in Week 1. In fact, there are going to be many 8- and 10-team leagues in which no Titans are drafted. Their highest-ranked skill position player is Alge Crumpler, the No. 16 tight end.

If he's healthy, the former Pro Bowler was a nice addition. He might very well be the Titans' leading receiver in 2008, though. Justin McCareins and Justin Gage currently sit atop the Tennessee depth chart at WR. The guys behind them, Brandon Jones and Roydell Williams, are at least as interesting, but Jones has legal issues and Williams has a significant ankle injury that sounds like it will affect him throughout the season. And then there's Biren Ealy, who caught one pass for six yards last year.

That's what Vince Young has at his disposal. It again seems likely that if Young is going to be a viable fantasy option at quarterback, he'll need to do it by running for touchdowns. In 2006 he totaled 202 fantasy points, thanks largely to 552 rushing yards and seven TDs. In 2007 he ran more often, but for fewer yards (395) and only three TDs. As a passer, he's been less than ordinary: 57.1 career completion percentage, 158.2 yards per game, 21 TDs and 30 interceptions.

Of course he could make a significant leap this year, and the quad injury may have limited him in 2007. But there will always be injuries, and it's tough to predict improvement when the weapons are so uninteresting.

Well...except for Chris Johnson. He's an interesting weapon. The Titans selected Johnson out of East Carolina with the 24th overall pick in the NFL Draft. His official 40-yard dash time at the Combine was 4.24, which was nearly a tenth of a second better than anyone else's. Here's what offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger told the Nashville Tennessean:

"We were out there making up routes ... I've never had a guy that can do (things Johnson can) … You need to be able to take advantage of the guy because he can do so many things. We'll just see what he can handle.''

And here's what linebacker Stanford Keglar had to say:

"He kind of ran past me, I guess,'' Keglar said with a smile. "He is an amazing athlete and has amazing speed. I probably could say he is the fastest person I have ever lined up against.''

There's a decent chance that Young and Johnson will account for 100 percent of Tennessee's truly exciting, highlight-worthy plays in 2008. You'll want Johnson in keeper leagues for sure, and he's a nice late flier in other formats.

LenDale White, however, remains the primary ball-carrier. He recently revealed that he played with a torn meniscus last season:

“This happened last year in preseason. I tore my meniscus,” White said. “I played on it all season. Contrary to what people believe, I am a soldier. I played on it all year and I didn’t complain, not once. I waited until the season was over to get it fixed and now I’m feeling good.”

But given the competition for carries in Tennessee, it's still tough to imagine that White's fantasy ceiling is much higher than last year's stats: 303 carries, 1110 yards, seven TDs, 146 fantasy points.

The Titans' defense, of course, is very good. Last year they held opponents to 18.6 points-per-game, 92.4 rushing yards, and 199.2 passing yards. They were seventh in the NFL in sacks (40) and tied for second in interceptions (22). Keith Bulluck belongs in the IDP Hall of Fame and Albert Haynesworth, assuming he can make ends meet on $7.25 million, is terrific. And then there's Chris Hope. And Jevon Kearse.

Tennessee could be a playoff team in real-life, but there's less hope for Titans-led fantasy squads. They had the NFL's lowest Red Zone TD percentage last season (.364).

That gets us right back to where we began: Bironas is awesome. You can have the rest.

---

2007 Tennessee Titans team stats

Rushing: 131.8 Y/G

Passing: 192.3 Y/G

Points per game: 18.8

Turnovers: 34

Red Zone possessions and TDs: 55, 20

'08 Schedule strength: .551

digg delicious
more

101 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. Blake H
    1. Posted by Blake H Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:52 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    titans suck! chief pride!!!!!!!!
  2. Kevin M
    2. Posted by Kevin M Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:57 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Tight ends are pretty decent, aren't they? Alge Crumpler? Did pretty well with Vick.
  3. Sherm
    3. Posted by Sherm Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:19 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Big Boot Bironas is a beast of a man.
  4. e-dub
    4. Posted by e-dub Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:57 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Who's worth having in a 14 team league with 21 players on your roster? Can someone help me out and thanks in advance
  5. Michael k
    5. Posted by Michael k Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:24 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    First, Titans Suck BALLS
  6. Nathan S
    6. Posted by Nathan S Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:42 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I think Lendale White could be a serviceable #2/3 fantasy back this year. I don't think the backfield will be that committee based. Browns gone, Henrys looking like a bust already. and I don't think Johnson can much more than a 3rd down back, with the potential to be somewhere between Bush and Norwood, in style and success. White'll get the carries and the TDs. So I will indeed happily "have the rest", if that includes White.
  7. zman1201
    7. Posted by zman1201 Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:01 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    White is always a FA scrub. There is no one on this roster worth taking before rd 8, including Bornias. I usually draft my kickers late because there's always some FA kicker that boots the hell out of the ball anyways. At least they aren't as bas on offense as the bears.
  8. Tony Feds
    8. Posted by Tony Feds Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:16 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Seriously? You want Lendale White? Well, hopefully you end up in the same league as me because I would love to have you drafting right before me.
  9. Lee Majors
    9. Posted by Lee Majors Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:44 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Yeah, I think he can be a decent #2/3 RB, too.
    But if the most useful fantasy option the Titans have projects as a flex -- a position we don't have in public leagues -- then I can't rank the team too high.
  10. tisha
    10. Posted by tisha Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:11 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    the Titans will again make the playoffs, this year, while VY is going to make Def's look stupid this year!
  11. Tommy
    11. Posted by Tommy Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:27 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    When does Favre get put back into the player pool ?
  12. dollardog34
    12. Posted by dollardog34 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:46 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The Titans will make the playoffs but they don't have any oustanding "fantasy" talent.
  13. Sixx
    13. Posted by Sixx Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:10 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Yeah, I'll take Lendale White over hmmmm, let's see...Willie Parker and his 2 TD's, and Mendenhall breathing down his neck, who else, Laurence Maroney who just seems to suck, and still has Brady, Moss, Welker and whoever else to contend with for touches, Fargas, who will be affected by McFadden, Brandon Jacobs who can't stay healthy, I could go on all day but I'm already bored. No one is saying to take White 1st, but as a 2nd, or preferably 3rd back he is pretty damn good.
  14. CPH
    14. Posted by CPH Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:30 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    i too must say White is a decent 3rd RB option...that guy you plug in when you have a BYE or injury to one of your top two...odds are he'll be an FA and be picked up for a week by a few teams and dropped once they use him for their needed bye week pickup...still wouldn't draft Bironas, price is too high, and kickers seem to go in ebbs and flows, no one has been consistantly dominate at kicker in many years, and this will be one of them. save your pick 8th round pick, take a flyer WR and live with Sean Suisham as your kicker in the 12th round
  15. Al
    15. Posted by Al Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:43 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Mike Heimerdinger is back at OC, and he's known for grooming WRs (Derrick Mason, Drew Bennett, Brandon Marshall). I'm not saying any of the Titan WRs are draftable, but one of them could emerge and help some fantasy teams out. There is some talent there. Mike Williams has lost 30 pounds and has looked really good, he's as talented as any receiver in the league, just has/had 0 work ethic. Biren Ealy and rook Lavelle Hawkins have looked good as well. Don't draft any of them but don't count them out. Also, in Dinger's offense, Crumpler will have a decent year. 600-700 yards and 5 or 6 TDs are possible. LenDale is healthy and in better shape but I wouldn't expect him to be much better than last year. He's still fat.
  16. tt24us
    16. Posted by tt24us Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:23 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Hey blake, who beat who last year and probably this year also at Arrowhead. Just b/c they are team oriented, dont be hatein'. Whats this I hear about a no-standing rule at Chiefs games this year?!?!?!?
  17. Trigga Play
    17. Posted by Trigga Play Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:16 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    #4: the top 294 players.
  18. cardsfan808
    18. Posted by cardsfan808 Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:01 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    am i the only one here who finds worth in alge crumpler? he did good with vick and i think he will only be better on the titans.(titans still suck though)
  19. PacMan Make it Rain
    19. Posted by PacMan Make it Rain Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:20 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    the titans defense is very stingy, so if the d holds it down and vince young matures as a quarterback then they can contend, dont expect them getting very far in the playoffs though
  20. jerret81
    20. Posted by jerret81 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:33 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Titans defense is dominate.
  21. Trav
    21. Posted by Trav Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:43 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    You people are handicap. Yeah the Titans suck so much that they went to the Superbowl the first year as the Titans. They suck so much that they have made it to the playoffs more often than not since 2000. Come on people, despite the low scoring games of last season they still made the playoffs. They may not have any standouts but thats ok as long as they keep grinding it out as a team. The only problem I have with them is one their lack of great recievers, and two they aren't exciting for a non Titan fan to watch and aren't on tv where I am as much as they were in the early millenium. Also you have to give them a little credit for playing in what has to be the toughest division the last few years. Geez people, give credit where it's due.
  22. PHILLIP H
    22. Posted by PHILLIP H Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:32 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Titans suck
  23. footballfan
    23. Posted by footballfan Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:01 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    white is only a #2 back in a very deep league. standard leagues with 10 teams and 2 backs may have him for bye weeks and injury protection. turner is even a much better option in atlanta. bironas is gould from 2 years ago. this year could it be nedney? lol. seriously, kickers are a gamble. take a ne, indy or dallas kicker or wait to the last round. reaching for bironas in the mid rounds will net a lot less than taking a guy like felix jones. lugh at me. but rbs will get injured maurice jones drew was an undersized backup/return man who helped many wise fa grabs take championships not many years ago. what if young does produce? ex. pts not long feild goals. what if he forces it too much? turnovers not fgs. a kicker is only as good as his team allows. isn't that right anyone who reached for gould last year and didn't wait for bironas?
  24. RYDAWG
    24. Posted by RYDAWG Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:56 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    im a titan fan but come on..u got the offseason to do work on the wide outs and u add a kind of good t.e. gimmie a break
  25. Alan
    25. Posted by Alan Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:00 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    as a titans fan and lifelong resident of nashville, i have to say this: they better not waste my tax money this year. i'm highly questioning mike reinfeldt's work as gm. he drafted a couple of decent players... yay. he hasn't made a single decent move, with the exception of picking up guard jake scott to replace banji olson (he got out at the right time, if you ask me). maybe mike heimerdinger can whip vince young into shape. vince is on the bubble. the titans have a slow running back, inconsistent wide receivers, a young offensive line... about all they have is haynesworth and bulluck. courtland finnegan is pretty good, as is steven tulloch. other than that, this team is toast. i love rob bironas, but even he isn't getting the props he deserves because he's on this team. no one of any value wants to play here. i love having a professional team here in nashville, but it's about time they start acting like winning the super bowl is important instead of getting these mediocre players and expecting to make them into something special. mike williams?!?!?! i rest my case.

Roto Arcade

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

Andy Behrens

Roto Arcade is a fantasy sports blog edited by Andy Behrens. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Y! Sports Blogs

Roto Arcade Recent Readers