Who Should I Start? Nyheim Hines or Tony Pollard

Tuesday, March 12, 11:45 AM

Free-agent running back Nyheim Hines (leg) is signing a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million with the Cleveland Browns, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 27-year-old missed the entire 2023 season with the Buffalo Bills after suffering a major leg injury during the offseason. Hines entered the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft via the Indianapolis Colts, where he was utilized as a receiving back behind Jonathan Taylor late in his tenure. In 72 games for the Colts, he caught 235 passes for 1,725 yards and seven touchdowns. He was traded to the Buffalo Bills at the 2022 deadline but only logged 11 touches for 50 yards thereafter. Hines will need to get past the leg injury, but he's a dynamic kick returner and could be in the mix as a change-of-pace back in Cleveland's backfield when he's fully healthy.

Wednesday, April 10, 11:05 PM

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz sees running backs Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard as 1A and 1B in some combination at the RB position for the team heading into the 2024 season. Holz said both backs will get a lot of touches. It's clearly bad news for Pollard's fantasy value after he served as the lead back for the Dallas Cowboys in 2023, recording his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season with six touchdowns but a career-low 4.0 yards per carry in 17 regular-season starts. Expecting a third straight 1,000-yard season in his first year in Tennessee would be unwise. If both Spears -- who had 453 rushing yards and 385 receiving yards with three total TDs as a rookies last year, -- and Pollard split the backfield work evenly, they'd both be more of RB3/flex plays in fantasy on a weekly basis in an offense that could be transitioning to more of a balanced attack rather than run-heavy.