The Tennessee Titans have been looking for an answer at quarterback all season. They needed a spark after starting the season 2-5. With Jake Locker struggling when he's actually able to stay on the field and Charlie Whitehurst playing like the backup he is, the Titans arguably had nothing to lose when they decided to give rookie Zach Mettenberger the start. Mettenberger had a tall task in front of him -- a stout Houston Texans defense. Armed with average weapons and a below average defense, Mettenberger made rookie errors as expected and the Titans fell to 2-6 with a 30-16 loss to the Texans.
The Titans offer few noteworthy fantasy performances in Week 8 loss to Texans
A rookie quarterback. A lackluster offensive effort. There’s little to celebrate for fantasy owners of Tennessee Titans players in Week 8.
Wesley Hitt
We’re here to sort out what’s worth breaking down for fantasy purposes.
Zach Mettenberger: On paper, Mettenberger's numbers weren't too bad. He finished with 299 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. The numbers are bit deceiving as Mettenberger's two scores came within the last 18 minutes of the game. J.J. Watt and the Texans defense abused Mettenberger with a couple sacks along with a total of five quarterback hits. It's likely that Mettenberger will keep his starting job for now, but fantasy owners have no reason to run to the waiver wire as the Titans head into their bye week.
Kendall Wright: Wright caught three of his five targets for 53 yards. 48 yards came from one play. Wright is more valuable in PPR leagues, but there's no telling who Mettenberger will favor moving forward. He's a risky WR3 play that owners are probably better off avoiding until the Titans offense tries to establish some sort of identity with a new signal caller.
Justin Hunter: Hunter saw a whopping 10 targets, but caught just four of them for 31 yards. He did salvage his afternoon a bit with a touchdown, however. Hunter's touchdown happened with less than a minute left in the game. Otherwise, he would have been a complete dud for the week. His target count is promising, but fantasy owners may want to reserve Hunter for moments of desperation until Mettenberger establishes some consistent chemistry with the young wideout.
Delanie Walker: Like Hunter, Walker was targeted ten times. He finished with four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. Walker hasn't seen the end zone since Week 4. He tied for a team high in targets, which is promising. He's still a borderline TE1/TE2 that could get a boost if he continues inhaling targets from Mettenberger.
Bishop Sankey: Sankey rushed nine times for 35 yards. He caught four passes for 25 yards. The Titans were constantly playing behind, so Sankey simply didn't have a lot of opportunity. However, he's been an average rusher most of the season that's prone to rookie mistakes. He's a a flex option for the occasional soft matchup, but he's more of a desperation play than anything else.
