Making the Case

• Collegiately-Productive
• Athletic
• Highly-Drafted
• Efficient
• Tackle-Breaking Ability
• Receiving Ability
• Young (23)
• Improving Situation
• Ambiguous Backfield

I can’t stop drafting Tyjae Spears.

Let me tell you why.

For starters, Tyjae Spears was very productive in college.

Spears played just 5 games as a true freshman – but managed to put up 32/192/1 rushing (6.0 YPC) + 5/133/1 receiving.

Tyjae played just 3 games the following season before tearing his ACL & Meniscus – but he averaged over 100 yards per-game with 37/274/2 rushing (7.4 YPC) + 2/30 receiving.

Spears bounced back strong the following year despite having suffered two major injuries – leading Tulane with 129/863/9 rushing (6.7 YPC) + another 19/145 receiving in what was considered his “redshirt freshman” season.

In Spears’ final year – he put up an absurd 229/1581/19 rushing (6.9 YPC) + another 22/256/2 receiving. He finished 4th in the NCAA in scrimmage yards (1,837).

Spears averaged 6.0+ YPC every season.

& received an 80.0+ PFF Rushing Grade every year (90.0+ in his final season).

Spears also averaged 4.5+ yards AFTER-CONTACT in each of his final 2 seasons.

He’s 1 of just 9 RB’s in PFF HISTORY to average 4.5+ YAC/attempt on 200+ rushing attempts in a season.

Spears had 1 year of eligibility left at Tulane but decided to forgo his final year & declare for the NFL as a redshirt-Junior.

He performed very well at the NFL Combine – posting 18 bench reps, a 39” vertical, & a 10’5” broad jump.

85th+ percentile marks in both the vertical & broad jumps according to Mockdraftable.

He showed zero ill effects of his prior injuries.

The NFL also gave Spears a stamp of approval when TEN drafted him RD3, 81st overall.

Spears was efficient again as an NFL rookie – averaging 4.5 YPC (2.2 YAC/attempt) on 100 rushing attempts (100/453/2 total).

He also flashed ELITE tackle-breaking ability – & was the ONLY RB in the NFL to force 25+ missed tackles on 100 or fewer carries.

Jaylen Warren, James Conner, & De’Von Achane were the ONLY RB’s with a better avoided-tackle rate.

Spears also flashed an ELITE receiving ceiling as a rookie – posting 52/385/1 as a receiver.

& finishing with the same amount of targets (70) as workhorse starters like Rachaad White.

Spears is also still just 23 years old – in an improving offense.

Will Levis heads into YR2 as starter.

TEN added Calvin Ridley at WR.

& spent the 7th overall pick on T JC Latham.

They brought in offensive-minded Brian Callahan as HC.

Derrick Henry (who’s had 300+ touches or a pace of it in 5-consecutive seasons) is also gone.

& the man TEN replaced him with (Tony Pollard) has had 250+ touches in just 1/5 seasons.

I would consider 175 touches to be Spears’ floor in 2024 (he had 152 touches as a rookie).

Pollard & Spears also have nearly identical redraft ADP’s (RB29, 100 overall vs RB33, 110 overall) – so it’s quite possible Spears is actually the “1A.”

I expect him to provide standalone RB2/3 value even IF Pollard stays healthy.

& if something happens to Tony Pollard?

Tyjae Spears has the talent, efficiency, receiving upside, & TD-upside to potentially produce TOP-5 RB numbers.

That makes him a MUST-TARGET at his current RB33 price tag.

Tyjae Spears is currently my most-rostered RB on @UnderdogFantasy (29% exposure) – & I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.