Who Should I Start? Tyjae Spears or Kaleb Johnson

Saturday, October 11, 12:12 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears is not a reliable fantasy option heading into Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Spears returned from injured reserve last weekend, rushing for 14 yards on four carries in his season debut. The 24-year-old played one-quarter of the offensive snaps, and reporting out of Tennessee indicates that the Titans are gradually going to get Spears more involved. Tony Pollard has run well enough in the lead-back role to justify easing Spears into a split backfield, rather than feeding him double-digit touches in his first couple of weeks back. As a result, managers will need to continue expressing patience with the young running back. He's not a reliable fantasy starter this week, while Pollard is headed for a sizable role once again.

Tuesday, September 30, 11:59 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson had his best chance yet for a breakout game in Week 4 with Steelers RB1 Jaylen Warren (knee) sidelined by a knee injury. However, Johnson remained stuck behind veteran back Kenneth Gainwell, who logged 134 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 25 total touches against the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson had just six carries for 22 yards, and has recorded just eight carries for 21 yards on the season. Pittsburgh has a bye in Week 5, and Warren may be ready to return in Week 6 for the Steelers' matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Even if Warren remains out, there's little reason to think Johnson would be set to jump Gainwell on the running back depth chart in Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old rookie maintains fantasy appeal in dynasty leagues, but he's tough to roster with any confidence in redraft formats.