Tennessee Titans

2025 Recap

Tennessee finished 3-14, and the final record accurately reflected a bad football team.

Cam Ward was still the most encouraging development from the season.

He finished his rookie year with 3,169 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding 159 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. His fantasy profile was inconsistent — one HIT, three MID performances and 13 BUST weeks with roughly 193 fantasy points — but that has to be evaluated in context.

Ward was a rookie quarterback operating inside one of the league's weakest overall environments.

The numbers were not impressive enough to call his first season a breakout, but they were good enough to establish a foundation.

Tony Pollard still rushed for 1,082 yards and five touchdowns, but his fantasy consistency was poor. Wan'Dale Robinson had not yet arrived, Calvin Ridley's season was shortened significantly by injury, and Tennessee's young receiver group was forced to develop in an unstable offense.

The season showed Tennessee exactly what had to change.

2026 Offseason

The Titans responded by building an actual structure around their young quarterback.

Robert Saleh took over as head coach.

Brian Daboll became offensive coordinator.

Wan'Dale Robinson was added.

Tennessee retained Calvin Ridley.

Carnell Tate was added as another major receiver investment.

The younger receivers now have another year of development.

The defense was reshaped to fit Saleh's philosophy.

This was not an offseason designed to make Tennessee a finished contender overnight. It was an offseason designed to make the roster more functional, give Ward better coaching and create a clearer long-term identity.

The working offseason grade is B+.

2026 Outlook

Tennessee should be a much better football team in 2026.

That does not necessarily mean the win total will immediately reflect the improvement.

This still looks like a transition year.

The Titans have young talent. They have a legitimate quarterback prospect. They have a better coaching structure. They have more receiving options. They should be better defensively.

What they do not yet have is enough proven continuity to treat them as a playoff team.

The most reasonable expectation is that Tennessee wins games it would not have won a year ago, surprises a few better opponents, and becomes noticeably more competitive while still finishing below .500.

The working projection is 6-11, with an upside path closer to eight wins if Ward develops faster than expected and the offensive line stabilizes.

• Brian Daboll gives Cam Ward a legitimate offensive teacher and play designer.
• Robert Saleh can establish the defensive identity while allowing Daboll to control the offense.
• Ward already survived a difficult rookie season and showed enough to justify optimism entering Year 2.
• Tony Pollard still rushed for more than 1,000 yards despite Tennessee's offensive problems.
• Wan'Dale Robinson gives Ward a proven underneath and slot option.
• Carnell Tate adds another talented young receiver to the developmental core.
• Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike now enter Year 2 with meaningful NFL experience.
• Tennessee has enough young talent to begin building a sustainable offensive identity.

• The offensive line remains the most important unresolved part of the offense.
• Ward's rookie fantasy profile was extremely inconsistent.
• Tennessee still needs Ward's Year 2 development to become real production rather than projection.
• Pollard's 2025 rushing yardage was useful, but his week-to-week fantasy consistency remained poor.
• The receiving room has more options, but target distribution may become difficult to predict.
• Calvin Ridley is returning from a season shortened by a broken fibula and high ankle sprain.
• Saleh must prove that his defensive expertise and improved staff structure translate into wins.
• Tennessee's schedule is difficult enough that team improvement may not immediately become a strong record.

The offense should become more structured and more quarterback-friendly under Brian Daboll.

That matters more than simply increasing passing volume.

Cam Ward does not need an offense that asks him to throw 45 times every week. He needs an offense that gives him clearer answers.

Tennessee should still be willing to run the football through Tony Pollard, use Tyjae Spears as a complementary option, and make opponents respect the backfield.

The difference should come from the passing design.

Wan'Dale Robinson can give Ward quick completions and space from the slot.

Carnell Tate brings young perimeter talent.

Calvin Ridley provides veteran route-running if he returns healthy.

Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike give the offense younger developmental options.

Daboll's job is to make Ward play faster.

Ward has the arm talent, mobility and mentality to become an important fantasy quarterback. The next step is turning those tools into consistent NFL execution.

Tennessee's defense should look like Robert Saleh's team.

The Titans want to play faster, more aggressively and with a clearer attacking identity.

Jeffery Simmons remains the centerpiece.

The defensive front has been rebuilt around players better suited for Saleh's system, and Tennessee should be more coherent schematically than it was a year ago.

The defense does not have to become elite immediately.

It needs to become good enough to keep Tennessee competitive, create better game scripts and prevent Ward from constantly playing from behind.

That alone would materially improve the fantasy environment.

The offensive line remains the biggest football and fantasy concern on the roster.

Tennessee can improve at quarterback, receiver, coaching and defense, but the offense will still struggle if Ward is constantly under pressure.

The line does not have to become elite.

It has to become functional.

Ward needs enough time to process Daboll's offense.

Pollard needs cleaner rushing lanes.

Tate and Ridley need enough protection for routes to develop.

Robinson's underneath role becomes less valuable if the offense is constantly behind the chains.

This unit is the primary reason FAZE is optimistic about Tennessee's growth without projecting an immediate offensive explosion.

Jeffery Simmons gives Tennessee the kind of player a defensive head coach can build around.

Saleh now has a front constructed more intentionally for his system, and the Titans should become more disruptive.

The defensive line can help the secondary by creating pressure without requiring Tennessee to manufacture every rush through heavy blitzing.

If the front becomes a legitimate strength, the Titans can play better complementary football than they did in 2025.

That improves the environment for Ward and Pollard by creating more neutral and positive game scripts.

Tennessee has invested in reshaping the secondary, but this remains a group that has to prove its chemistry.

A new defensive staff, new personnel and developing players create natural uncertainty.

The advantage is that Saleh understands exactly what he wants the back end to do.

The secondary does not need to dominate.

It needs to communicate, prevent explosive breakdowns and give the defensive front enough time to affect quarterbacks.

The overall defense should be better structured than it was a year ago.

Tennessee matters because Cam Ward is one of the most interesting Year 2 quarterback bets in fantasy football.

His rookie numbers were not good enough to create hype on their own.

That may be exactly why the opportunity exists.

Ward threw for 3,169 yards with 15 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding two rushing scores in an extremely difficult rookie environment.

Now Brian Daboll is running the offense.

The receiver room is deeper.

Pollard remains established.

The organization has clearly committed to Ward's development.

That creates a legitimate sleeper quarterback profile.

The Titans may not win enough games to become a major NFL story in 2026, but they can produce considerably more fantasy value than they did one year ago.

Ascending

The Titans are becoming more draftable.

They are not becoming a team that should automatically supply premium fantasy starters at every position.

Cam Ward is the most interesting value because his price allows managers to bet on a Year 2 breakout without paying for one in advance.

Tony Pollard remains a usable RB2 or Flex.

Wan'Dale Robinson is a volatile mid-round receiver.

Carnell Tate is an upside rookie whose price should remain reasonable until his weekly role is proven.

Elic Ayomanor is a sleeper.

Calvin Ridley is a late-round veteran gamble.

Chimere Dike is a final-round upside flyer.

Tyjae Spears is a bench and contingency back.

The tight ends are watch-list players rather than draft priorities.

The correct strategy is to buy Tennessee's growth without pretending the offense is already established.

• Can Brian Daboll unlock Cam Ward in Year 2?
• Can Ward turn a 3,169-yard rookie season into meaningful fantasy consistency?
• Does Tony Pollard remain the clear lead back?
• How large does Tyjae Spears' complementary role become?
• Can Wan'Dale Robinson become more consistent after showing major weekly upside and major weekly volatility?
• How quickly does Carnell Tate establish himself?
• Can Calvin Ridley recover from his 2025 leg injury and become useful again?
• Does Elic Ayomanor emerge as one of the offense's best sleeper values?
• Can Chimere Dike turn athletic upside into a larger offensive role?
• Can the offensive line protect Ward well enough for Daboll's offense to function?
• How quickly does Saleh establish Tennessee's defensive identity?

• **Cam Ward:** The franchise quarterback and most important player in the organization.
• Jeffery Simmons: Defensive cornerstone and the player Saleh can build the front around.
• **Tony Pollard:** Proven starting running back who still topped 1,000 rushing yards in 2025.
• **Carnell Tate:** Young receiver with the talent to become part of Ward's long-term foundation.
• **Elic Ayomanor:** Developing young receiver with a legitimate path toward a larger role.
• Peter Skoronski: Important offensive-line building block whose development affects the entire offense.
• JC Latham: Young tackle whose progress is essential to stabilizing Ward's protection.

• **Chig Okonkwo:** His departure changes the tight-end hierarchy and creates opportunity for Gunnar Helm and Daniel Bellinger.
• T'Vondre Sweat: His departure was part of Tennessee reshaping the defensive front around Saleh's preferred system.
• Arden Key: His exit removes experienced edge depth.
• Lloyd Cushenberry III: His departure contributes to uncertainty in the middle of the offensive line.
• Xavier Woods: His exit adds another change to a secondary already adapting to a new defensive structure.

Carnell Tate

• Player: Carnell Tate
• Position: WR
• Why they matter for fantasy: Tate gives Tennessee another legitimate young receiving talent around Cam Ward. He should compete for an important offensive role immediately, but FAZE will not price him like a proven NFL difference-maker before the target hierarchy becomes clear. The preferred draft range is Rounds 10-12.

Nick Singleton

• Player: Nick Singleton
• Position: RB
• Why they matter for fantasy: Singleton is a developmental back behind Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. His immediate workload is too uncertain for standard redraft investment, but he should be tracked because an injury or depth-chart change could create a larger role.

Keldric Faulk

• Player: Keldric Faulk
• Position: EDGE
• Why they matter for fantasy: Faulk's fantasy importance is indirect. If he develops into an impact pass rusher in Saleh's defense, Tennessee DST becomes a more attractive matchup-based fantasy unit.

Calvin Ridley

Ridley's 2025 season was shortened after he suffered a broken fibula and high ankle sprain.

That changes the 2026 evaluation.

He should not be drafted in the Round 10-12 range simply because he has name recognition.

Tennessee has more target competition now, Ridley is older, and his recent injury adds another layer of uncertainty.

That also creates a potential value opportunity if he lasts long enough.

Treat Ridley as a Round 15+ upside pick rather than a player you need to target aggressively.

Elic Ayomanor

Ayomanor is one of the most interesting sleeper receivers on the roster.

His current FAZE ADP output in the 800 range does not match the football evaluation.

He played a full rookie season, gained NFL experience and remains part of a receiving room that has enough uncertainty for roles to change.

FAZE views him as draftable.

The preferred range is approximately Rounds 10-12.

That does not guarantee a breakout.

It means the current price should not treat him like a player with essentially no fantasy relevance.

Chimere Dike

Dike remains raw, but he has enough athletic upside and Year 1 experience to deserve more respect than an FAZE ADP in the 800 range implies.

He is not a core draft target.

He is a late-round flyer.

If he is available in Rounds 16-17, he can be considered when roster construction allows a developmental receiver.

Tyjae Spears

Spears remains behind Pollard, but he has enough versatility to become a useful complementary player.

Daboll has historically been comfortable allowing a lead running back to establish the backfield, which keeps Pollard ahead.

Spears is therefore not an early priority.

He is a late-round bench piece, contingency back and potential receiving option.

Gunnar Helm

Helm showed enough as a young tight end to remain interesting, but Tennessee also added Daniel Bellinger.

Neither player should currently be treated as a standard redraft target.

The tight-end room is something to watch after the season begins rather than something fantasy managers need to solve during the draft.

Quarterbacks

Cam Ward is the centerpiece of Tennessee's fantasy outlook.

His rookie consistency rating was approximately 24%, with one HIT, three MID performances and 13 BUST weeks.

Those numbers are poor.

The context matters.

Ward was a rookie quarterback playing in a bad system on a bad team.

He still threw for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while adding 159 rushing yards and two rushing scores.

That is enough to create optimism rather than dismissal.

Ward has the mentality and physical talent to improve quickly.

He has a strong arm.

He can create outside structure.

He can move.

Most importantly, Brian Daboll now gets a full offseason to build around him.

FAZE expects Tennessee to be considerably better structured offensively.

Ward remains volatile, but he has legitimate Year 2 breakout potential.

Target range: Rounds 10-12, with Round 11 an attractive point to begin considering him when waiting at quarterback.

He is a legitimate sleeper quarterback.

Running Backs

Tony Pollard remains Tennessee's lead back.

His 2025 consistency rating was approximately 35%.

He rushed for 1,082 yards and five touchdowns, added 33 catches for 206 receiving yards and finished with one BOOM, one HIT, four MID performances and 11 BUST weeks.

The fantasy consistency was poor.

The rushing production still mattered.

Pollard has enough left to bounce back inside a better-structured offense.

Brian Daboll has generally shown a willingness to feature a lead back rather than forcing a perfectly even committee.

That supports Pollard.

Tyjae Spears will still have a role and may receive meaningful passing-game work, but FAZE currently views Pollard as the back most likely to control the largest share of the workload.

Pollard should be drafted in Rounds 7-9.

He is Tennessee's RB1.

For fantasy, he fits better as an RB2 or Flex than as the first running back you build a roster around.

Spears belongs in the final rounds as a bench, contingency and upside pick.

Wide Receivers

Tennessee's wide receiver room is far more interesting than the current FAZE ADP outputs suggest.

Wan'Dale Robinson caught 92 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns in 2025.

His season also illustrated the problem.

He produced huge fantasy weeks, including approximately 27- and 29-point performances, then disappeared for stretches.

His profile included two BOOM weeks, two HIT weeks, two MID performances and 10 BUST weeks.

That volatility matters.

Robinson is reuniting with Daboll, which creates familiarity but does not guarantee consistency.

FAZE views him as a useful Rounds 8-10 target.

He is not a fantasy WR1.

He is a mid-round receiver whose ceiling makes him useful when deployed properly.

Carnell Tate is one of the most important young players in the room.

The talent is real.

The opportunity is real.

The role is still developing.

FAZE prefers Tate in Rounds 10-12 rather than paying an aggressive rookie premium before his NFL volume is established.

Elic Ayomanor is a sleeper.

His current FAZE ADP output is far too low relative to his plausible role and draftability.

FAZE prefers him in approximately Rounds 10-12.

Calvin Ridley becomes a late-round veteran gamble.

His 2025 season was shortened by a broken fibula and high ankle sprain, and Tennessee now has significantly more receiver competition.

His preferred range is Round 15+.

Chimere Dike is an athletic late-round flyer.

He should not carry an FAZE ADP that effectively removes him from the draftable universe.

The preferred range is roughly Rounds 16-17.

This room has talent.

It also has enough competition that weekly roles must be earned.

Tight Ends

Gunnar Helm and Daniel Bellinger are both interesting football players.

Neither is currently a standard fantasy draft target.

Helm has developmental upside.

Bellinger has experience and familiarity with Daboll.

That combination makes the room worth monitoring.

It does not create enough role clarity to spend a normal redraft selection.

Treat both as waiver-wire and early-season watch-list players unless camp or regular-season usage creates a clear lead receiving role.

Defense / Special Teams

Tennessee DST is more interesting under Robert Saleh.

The Titans have a defensive head coach with a defined system, Jeffery Simmons as the centerpiece and a front constructed more intentionally for the new scheme.

This defense should be more aggressive and more coherent.

The schedule prevents FAZE from treating Tennessee as an every-week set-and-forget defense.

The better approach is to monitor the unit and stream it in favorable matchups if Saleh's front begins creating consistent pressure.

Verified Schedule Status: Official 2026 schedule confirmed.

Schedule Difficulty: Difficult.

Critical Stretch: Weeks 11-14 against Dallas, Jacksonville, Washington, and Detroit.

Tennessee's schedule is difficult enough that improvement may not immediately translate into a dramatic win total.

The Jets and Giants give Tennessee opportunities early, but Philadelphia, Baltimore and Houston appear in the first five weeks.

That is a difficult environment for a new coaching staff and a second-year quarterback.

The middle of the schedule gives Tennessee chances against Indianapolis, Cleveland and Jacksonville, but Cincinnati remains another significant challenge.

After the Week 9 bye, the Titans enter their most difficult stretch.

Dallas, Jacksonville, Washington and Detroit across Weeks 11-14 will show whether Tennessee has actually become competitive or merely improved.

The final month includes Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Houston.

The Titans should be better.

The schedule makes 6-11 a reasonable working projection even if the underlying football is significantly stronger than it was in 2025.

An eight-win season is possible if Ward breaks out and Tennessee wins more close games than expected.

• Week 15: vs Indianapolis
• Week 16: @ Las Vegas
• Week 17: vs Pittsburgh

The fantasy playoff schedule is more attractive than Tennessee's overall schedule.

Ward could become especially interesting late in the year if Daboll has the offense functioning at a higher level by December.

The young receivers may also become easier to trust after a full season of role development.

Week 16 at Las Vegas is the most obvious potential scoring environment.

Week 15 against Indianapolis keeps the offense at home.

Week 17 against Pittsburgh will likely be more physical and volatile.

The playoff schedule is not a reason to avoid Tennessee's draftable assets.

For Ward and the younger receivers, it may slightly increase the appeal of betting on late-season development.

Pollard and Robinson remain close to market cost, while Spears carries a larger FAZE discount at his current price. Ayomanor and Dike profile as later-round upside values relative to the market, while Ridley's current FAZE placement reflects the injury, age and role uncertainty already established in this report.

AFC South Label: Challenging

Tennessee is improving inside a division that will not hand it anything.

The Titans are not ready to be treated as the AFC South favorite.

They are capable of becoming much more competitive.

Ward's development creates the widest range of outcomes on the roster.

If he makes a major Year 2 jump, Tennessee can steal games and move faster than expected.

If he develops more gradually, the Titans can still become a better football team without turning into a winning team immediately.

The realistic expectation is progress before contention.

Roster: B-

The roster is improving and contains more legitimate young talent, but it is still incomplete.

Quarterback: C+

Ward has meaningful upside and showed enough as a rookie to justify optimism. The grade remains restrained because the breakout has not happened yet.

Coaching: B-

Saleh plus Daboll is a good structural combination. Saleh can control the defensive identity while Daboll develops Ward and runs the offense.

Offseason: B+

Tennessee attacked the right areas and created a healthier developmental environment.

Division: Challenging

The AFC South does not provide an automatic path to wins.

Schedule: Difficult

The schedule contains enough high-level opponents to suppress Tennessee's win total even if the team improves significantly.

Projected Record: 6-11

Tennessee should be better than it was in 2025.

The improvement is more likely to show first in structure, competitiveness and player development than in a winning record.

The Titans can surprise teams.

They may win games they are not expected to win.

They can also remain one year away from becoming a legitimate playoff team.

An eight-win ceiling is reasonable if Ward takes a substantial leap and the offensive line develops quickly.

Final Locked Playoff Odds™: 10%

Final Tier: Extreme Long Shot

Tennessee's playoff path begins with Cam Ward's development inside a much healthier offensive structure. Brian Daboll gives the young quarterback a better chance to progress, while Robert Saleh should make the defense more competitive.

The roster is still incomplete, the offensive line remains unsettled and the difficult schedule limits the margin for error. Tennessee should be viewed as a developmental team with an outside playoff path, not a preseason contender.

The working projection remains 6-11, with upside toward eight wins if Ward's Year 2 jump arrives faster than expected.

• Target Tony Pollard in Rounds 7-9 as a fantasy RB2 or Flex with bounce-back potential.
• Target Wan'Dale Robinson in Rounds 8-10 when you can absorb weekly volatility.
• Target Cam Ward in Rounds 10-12, with Round 11 an attractive point to begin considering him as a sleeper quarterback.
• Target Carnell Tate in Rounds 10-12 rather than paying an aggressive rookie premium.
• Target Elic Ayomanor in Rounds 10-12 as one of Tennessee's better sleeper receiver bets.
• Treat Calvin Ridley as a Round 15+ veteran upside selection after his injury-shortened 2025 season.
• Consider Chimere Dike in Rounds 16-17 as a late developmental receiver flyer.
• Consider Tyjae Spears in Rounds 16-17 as a bench and contingency back.
• Do not prioritize Gunnar Helm or Daniel Bellinger in standard redraft leagues.
• Bet on Tennessee's improvement, but do not pay prices that assume the offense has already broken out.