Lawrence, Tuten and the Jaguars Defense Are Starts in Nashville as Tony Pollard Leads the Titans and Cam Ward Stays on the Bench

The Jacksonville Jaguars head to Nashville on Sunday with a 6-2 record and back-to-back blowout wins over Indianapolis and Baltimore, the most recent a 33-10 rout of the Ravens ^[1][5]. The Tennessee Titans are 1-7 ^[1]. For fantasy managers, a matchup like this looks easy at first glance. It is not quite that simple, because the same blowouts that make Jacksonville dangerous can also cap how much its stars produce.

Here is how I would handle the key pieces before the 1 p.m. kickoffs.

Trevor Lawrence: Start Him, but Know the Catch

Trevor Lawrence has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in football this season. Sharp Football Analysis reported that he leads all quarterbacks in passing points per dropback at 0.57, in yards per attempt at 8.6 and in touchdown rate at 8% ^[1]. Those are elite numbers.

The catch, as Sharp also pointed out, is that Lawrence has only two top-10 fantasy weeks this season, because Jacksonville has been winning by so much that it simply does not need him to keep throwing late in games ^[1]. That is a good problem for the Jaguars and a mild headache for fantasy managers.

The matchup helps. Tennessee has allowed 29.8% of passing plays against it to gain 10 or more yards, which ranks 29th in the league, according to Sharp ^[1]. Abby's advice: start Lawrence with confidence as a low-end QB1. Just set your expectations around efficiency, not volume. If the Jaguars are up big at halftime again, his second half could be quiet.

Bhayshul Tuten Is the Jaguar to Want

In a game Jacksonville expects to control, the lead running back is often the biggest winner, because a team protecting a lead leans on its ground game. FantasyPros ranks Bhayshul Tuten as an RB1 this week ^[2].

There is one thing to check before kickoff. Yahoo Sports reported that Tuten missed practice during the week with ankle and foot problems ^[4], although he did not carry an injury designation into the weekend. Confirm he is active when inactives come out about 90 minutes before the game, and if he is, plug him in.

At receiver, Jakobi Meyers led Jacksonville's pass catchers in the win at Baltimore ^[1], and he is the safest Jaguars wideout to use as a flex. Brian Thomas Jr. is a tougher call. FantasyPros wrote that he has fallen off the fantasy radar, and CBS Sports lists him as a sit ^[2][3]. I would leave him on the bench until he shows he is back in a featured role.

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The Titans: Lean on Pollard, Be Careful With Ward

Tony Pollard is the Tennessee player I trust most this week. CBS Sports lists him as a start and a low-end RB2 ^[3], and Yahoo Sports called him a solid RB2 with a safe floor ^[4]. The warning is the opponent. FantasyPros noted that Jacksonville has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points and the second-fewest rushing yards to running backs this season ^[2]. Pollard's value comes from volume and from catching passes when the Titans fall behind, so he works best in PPR leagues.

Cam Ward is the hardest decision. The second-year quarterback put together a strong showing in Tennessee's last game, but the consensus is to wait. CBS Sports lists him as a sit ^[3], FantasyPros advises sitting him this week ^[2], and Sharp wrote that managers need to see Ward build on that performance before trusting him as more than a QB2 ^[1]. Jacksonville's defense has been good enough this year that I agree. Keep Ward on the bench in one-quarterback leagues and treat him as a backup option in superflex formats.

The Defense to Stream

If your league uses team defenses and you are looking for a one-week answer, the Jaguars are an obvious target. A 6-2 team facing a 1-7 opponent with a young quarterback is the classic streaming spot, and Jacksonville's defense has been part of the reason these games have turned lopsided. If the Jaguars defense is sitting on your waiver wire, claim it.

Abby's Bottom Line

Start: Trevor Lawrence (QB1), Bhayshul Tuten (RB1, if active), Tony Pollard (RB2, better in PPR), the Jaguars defense.

Flex: Jakobi Meyers.

Sit: Cam Ward in one-quarterback leagues, Brian Thomas Jr.

The big lesson of this matchup is that a great real-life team does not always mean a great fantasy week, and a struggling team can still give you a useful player. Trust the volume, check the inactives, and you will be fine.

Want to put this advice to work? The free Liberty Bell Fantasy games at /fantasy are open every week, with no cost to play. Set your lineup and see who makes the best calls this Sunday.