Who Should I Start? Tony Pollard or Spencer Rattler

Friday, September 12, 10:29 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard did not have his most efficient game in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, rushing for 60 yards on 18 carries and recording one catch for 29 yards. Still, Pollard received 90% of the running back carries for Tennessee in Week 1, a trend that figures to continue as long as Titans RB2 Tyjae Spears (ankle) remains on Injured Reserve due to a high ankle sprain. Pollard gets a tough matchup in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, who allowed just nine points to the Houston Texans in Week 1. However, Houston gained 127 yards on the ground, and lead back Nick Chubb averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Expect Tennessee to lean on Pollard to ease the pressure on rookie quarterback Cameron Ward and slow down a formidable Rams' pass rush. Pollard is a volume-based low-end fantasy RB2 in Week 2.

Monday, September 15, 12:47 AM

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 25 of 34 pass attempts for 207 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 2 contest against the San Francisco 49ers. He also took three sacks and rushed for 14 yards. While Rattler finished with relatively modest passing yardage, his three touchdowns kept the Saints in the game against San Francisco and also resulted in a very solid fantasy performance. It's evident that New Orleans will be playing from behind in plenty of games this year, but Rattler is still able to play clean football and keep New Orleans competitive for a full 60 minutes. These two factors, along with his clearly demonstrated ability to throw for touchdowns, makes him a very intriguing waiver wire option. Fantasy managers dealing with injuries or underwhelming production at the quarterback position should feel inclined to place a claim or bid on Rattler, especially ahead of his Week 3 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who have allowed 421 passing yards and four total touchdowns to quarterbacks over the last two weeks combined.