The Tennessee Titans have put an end to the DeMarco Murray era, deciding to move forward with Derrick Henry and the newly-signed Dion Lewis.
Titans reach deal with RB Dion Lewis ⚔️
Details 📰 » https://t.co/5GbANjOJdW pic.twitter.com/bDqSvzDMgL
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) March 15, 2018
Lewis is coming off an up-and-down three seasons as a member of the Patriots‘ never-ending backfield. He put some great stuff on tape, though other factors led to him being unreliable more often than not. A fresh start may be just what he needs to find a permanent place on the fantasy landscape.
Reasons to Get Excited
End of 2017
Lewis’ final regular season games with the Patriots featured some of his best work.
In his final 8 games of the 2017 regular season, Dion Lewis had 141.70 fantasy points in standard leagues. He averaged 17.71 fantasy points per game in PPR Leagues in those final 8 games. #FantasyFootball pic.twitter.com/cXOIKawxZk
— FantasyData (@FantasyDataNFL) January 15, 2018
From Week 10 to Week 17, Lewis was the fifth-highest scoring running back in standard leagues. Only Todd Gurley, Alvin Kamara, Le’Veon Bell and Mark Ingram scored more. He also got 10 or more carries in all but one game after Week 5, proving that he is capable of holding up with more touches than he’s known for.
On top of that, he was extremely efficient.
Tennessee is getting one of 2017's most efficient fantasy running backs in Dion Lewis. pic.twitter.com/VUuBblbF9L
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) March 26, 2018
Though he had the fifth-most points after Week 10, he had the 10th-most touches. He may not need a huge workload to be effective.
PPR Bonus
Lewis was a capable receiver in 2017, catching 32 of 36 targets in 16 games for 214 yards. That’s a fine bonus, but it’s nothing compared to what he showed in his breakout 2015.
That year, he caught 36 passes on 50 targets for 388 yards in seven games before tearing his ACL. He has the potential to be one of the most productive receiving backs in the league, which may be what the Titans have in store for him. Derrick Henry is not much of a receiver, meaning Lewis should get almost all of the work on passing downs. He’s exceptionally intriguing in PPR formats.
High-Value Handcuff
There’s still plenty of time for the Titans to add another running back via free agency or the draft. But, as of right now, the backs behind Henry and Lewis on the depth chart (David Fluellen, Khalfani Muhammad) have four career touches between them. Though Lewis isn’t built like a workhorse back, he could handle the job at least on a short-term basis. He looks to be the type of player that’s worthy of a FLEX start under normal circumstances with room for more if anything happens to Henry.
Reasons to Pump the Brakes
Timeshare with Henry
You won’t have to look very hard to find people up in arms over the Lewis signing and its effect on Henry. The consensus is they will eat into each other’s touches, thereby dinging both of their value. It could definitely happen. Lewis was a member of the aforementioned never-ending Patriots backfield, so he knows this better than most. With Henry entrenched as the lead back, Lewis may see some games where he is used very little.
Injury History
Lewis is small (5-foot-8, 195 pounds) and has a lengthy injury history. He has suffered two season-ending injuries and both required lengthy recoveries that suggest potential long-term effects. Last season was the first time Lewis played all 16 games and the second time he played in more than nine games since entering the league in 2011. It’s good that he doesn’t have chronic soft-tissue injuries, but he isn’t a poster child for durability.
Playcalling Uncertainty
The Titans hired Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur as their new offensive coordinator. Last year was his only experience as an NFL offensive coordinator and this season will be his first as a playcaller. That’s a lot of responsibility and pressure, especially considering the head coach is a defensive specialist. We don’t know how LaFleur will call games or if he’s any good at it. Lewis could be used poorly or less often than we realize.
Conclusion
There is quite a lot to like about Lewis, especially in PPR leagues. He has the makings of a Danny Woodhead type who won’t get you applause on draft day but can help you win a championship. He would fit very well as a FLEX or at the top of the bench in a standard league and could even be an RB2 target for those using Zero RB in a PPR league. Keep an eye on Lewis at your draft.
