Is Tony Pollard playing today? Titans injury update and fantasy football replacements

Not much has gone right for the Tennessee Titans this season, as their 3-10 record suggests, but the Tony Pollard signing has aged pretty well so far. The 27-year-old had a big task ahead of him when he took over for Derrick Henry in the backfield, but while he’s no Henry, he’s had a very nice debut season in Tennessee.

Pollard ranks ninth in the NFL with 937 yards rushing entering Sunday’s game, putting him just 63 yards shy of his third straight 1,000-yard season. He also has 39 receptions for 233 yards through the air, proving to be more of a dual threat than Henry was, even while he’s nowhere near the runner Henry was during his eight-year stint at Tennessee.

Pollard hoped to add to his solid season with a strong performance in Week 15 against a Cincinnati Bengals team that has allowed over 130 rushing yards per game, but he did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and was listed as a limited participant on Friday , as he is dealing with an ankle injury. He enters Sunday’s game with a questionable designation, making the possibility of him missing his first game of the season very real.

Fortunately, ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided Titans fans with some rare good news, as even though this week hasn’t been his best practice, he is expected to play against Cincinnati.

Assuming Pollard is actually able to play, he could be in line for a big game. The same Bengals team allowed 131 yards on the ground to Rico Dowdle in Week 14, and have once again struggled mightily defending the run. Pollard may not get to 131 yards, but the 63 yards he needs to record another 1,000-yard season should certainly be within reach quite comfortably. Pollard had 102 yards rushing in Week 14, and has had at least 100 yards on the ground in two of his last three games. Behind Pollard are Tyjae Spears, Julius Chestnut and Joshua Kelley.

Even if Pollard is able to play, Tyjae Spears might see a slightly heavier workload than usual on Sunday. Spears has had more than seven carries in a game just once this season, and that was back in Week 4 in a game the Titans led comfortably most of the way. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him top his season average of 5.6 attempts per game. match, whether Pollard is in there or not.

Given the fact that Pollard was taken fairly early in most drafts and has performed as a high-end RB2, he should be started if he’s able to play, especially when you consider the defense he’s up against against. No one knows how healthy Pollard is, but he should be able to put up numbers against a Cincinnati defense susceptible to being burned on the ground.

The only scenarios that should see Pollard on the bench would include a roster with more quality backs to rely on, or if he is ruled out even if he is expected to play. Players worth picking up in case of an emergency would be Spears, Tank Bigsby or even Honest McCormick for the really desperate managers. Hopefully at least one of those players is available.