The Tennessee Titans came of age in 2008 posting a 13-3 record and reclaiming the AFC South title knocking the Indianapolis Colts off their perch. However, the season did not end as the Titans expected, as they were defeated 13-10 by the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional playoffs. The end of my fantasy season was much more favorable than the Titans’, as I won my second Super Bowl title in 10 years. One of the main reasons he was celebrating Christmas when other owners were crying into his beer is Titans RB Chris Johnson. It all started in August when I watched Johnson snap a long TD run during a preseason game and was amazed at his speed and kept that vision in my head come draft day. I managed to steal Johnson in the 14th round of my draft and rode that train along with fellow rookie sensation Matt Forte to a championship and around $1100.00. Can Johnson duplicate his success in 2009? Who are some of the other Titans to watch out for next season? Let’s take a look at the Titans’ fantasy potential heading into 2009.
Needless to say, Johnson was an integral part of my team last year on a weekly basis. Johnson burst onto the NFL scene with 1,228 yards and 9 TDs and also contributed 43 receptions for 260 yards and 1 TD. Surprisingly, there could have been much more, but Johnson continually missed goal-line reps and subsequently TDs to Lendale “Cheeseburger” White. Week after week, I just sat him down and wondered what kind of numbers Johnson would have if White wasn’t around. Cheeseburger himself accounted for 773 rushing yards, but scored a staggering 15 TDs. AS MUCH AS THE OWNERS OF FANT FANTEY WILL HATE COACH JEFFF FAINHER FOR THIS, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE JOHNSON/WHITE SQUAD (ELOQUENT NICKNAME “SMASH AND DASH”) DOW SCENARIO WILL BE EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL FOR TENNESSEE AND BECAUSE OF THAT SUCCESS DON’T WAIT TOO LONG. LOOK FORWARD TO MUCH change this year. Can Johnson repeat his extraordinary rookie campaign? In the mock drafts I’ve been doing recently, Johnson has gone from 8th to 16th overall, and as I’ve mentioned in other posts, I’m not really sold on any of the higher-rated riders. Everyone has important questions, including Johnson. First, Johnson won’t be sneaking up on the NFL this year like he did in 2008. Plus, White will likely continue to steal most touches on the goal line, meaning Johnson will likely have to break a long run to score. . If my draft is about him or Larry Fitzgerald, I’ll take Fitz only because he’s a safer pick. Anyway, Johnson is a great pick, but if you pick him, know that you will lose a lot of TDs with white, so be prepared for that. As for the cheeseburger, I actually like it better than Johnson this year simply for the aforementioned reasons.
The bottom line is he’s looking for TDs in fantasy football and White scored 15 of them last year and will most likely post at least 10 more this year. Also, White may have much higher value than Johnson, as he has been hovering around the fifth and sixth rounds in the drafts I’ve been involved in so far. In short, these two guys will produce. Tennessee is a first-run team and I haven’t heard anything out of Nashville that indicates a trade is coming, even with the acquisition of WR Kenny Britt from Rutgers. Treat Johnson is a No. 1 back and White is a No. 2 low-end or No. 3 high-end RB.
Historically, when titans receiving fantasy bodies were discussed, the owners used that time to perform various family tasks, such as taking out the garbage or reading stories to their children, rather than participating in the discussion. Basically what I’m trying to say is that Tennessee WRs have been non-existent in terms of fantasy production for some time. The Titans are desperately hoping Britt starts to change all that. Fisher usually refrains from taking wide receivers in the first round, but even he could tell how desperate things had become at the position. Britt is immensely talented and a good fit in the goalkeeping and dynasty leagues, however he most likely won’t be drafted in most traditional formats. Keep an eye on him but keep expectations to a minimum. In terms of Titan’s other wide receivers, it’s pretty simple: Justin Gage may be worth a late-round midfielder, but no other Titan wide receiver, including TE Bo Scaife, is worth spending any kind of draft pick in August.
The Titans DST were a solid unit in 2008, but suffered a huge loss in the offseason with the departure of DT Albert Haynesworth, who signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent. Keith Bullock remains the anchor of the defense, but anyone who thinks the Titans won’t miss Haynesworth is dreaming. He considers the Titans’ summer schedule as the No. 1 option, but keep expectations realistic without the big man in the middle. That concludes my review of the AFC South. Up next: The AFC North and I will kick off with the defending Super Bowl champion, the Pittsburgh Steelers.