Week 16 vs. Seattle Seahawks
In Week 16, Ryan Tannehill looks likely to fill in for Will Levis, who suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 15. Tannehill was working on a nondescript season before being benched for Levis following Tannehill's own ankle injury back in Week 6. His 7.1 yards per attempt ranks 16th at the position, and he had only managed two passing touchdowns and a single rushing score in six games to start this season. The good news is Tannehill gets a bit of a soft landing going up against a below-average Seahawks defense this week, and one that is dealing with multiple injuries in the secondary. Tannehill is in a pretty good spot this week, but his talent limitations keep him from cracking the QB1 ranks. Tannehill is a middling QB2 in a plus matchup this week.
Week 6 vs. Baltimore Ravens (London)
Ryan Tannehill logged another game-manager-type performance in Week 5 by throwing for a season-high 264 scoreless yards on 34 attempts with an interception. Tannehill has yet to log a QB1 finish in fantasy this season and has topped out at 34 pass attempts through five weeks. Tannehill is still missing Treylon Burks from his pass catching team, but DeAndre Hopkins looked healthy in Week 5 which is a promising sign for the Tennessee passing game. Tannehill and the Titans will travel to London to take on the Ravens in Week 6, who boast a strong defense that has allowed the third-fewest adjusted fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs through five games. Tannehill is not a viable fantasy play in Week 6 outside of superflex leagues.
Week 5 at Indianapolis Colts
Ryan Tannehill had a rather nondescript stat line in the Titans' Week 4 domination of the Bengals. A positive game script led to only 25 pass attempts for Tannehill, but he logged a healthy 9.6 yards per attempt to finish with 240 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Even with the efficient showing, Week 4 exhibited Tannehill's limited ceiling as a fantasy asset as a game manager who operates a run-first offense on a team that is not very good despite the win over the reeling Bengals. Tannehill gets another soft matchup in Week 5 traveling to Indianapolis to take on the Colts, but he simply does not project for enough volume as a passer to be anything more than a low-end QB2 for fantasy.
Week 4 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Ryan Tannehill and the Titans were dominated by the Browns' strong defense in Week 3, resulting in a completely disastrous statistical performance for him and everyone else in the offense. Tannehill had a solid performance in Week 2 but has looked dreadful in his other two games this season, and currently has one passing touchdown on the year to go along with 6.6 yards per pass attempt, good for 22nd in the NFL. The Bengals' defense is nothing special in terms of limiting fantasy production for opposing passers so Tannehill's matchup is significantly better this week, but his play thus far does not inspire much confidence in his fantasy viability and he belongs on waivers in most formats.
Week 3 at Cleveland Browns
It was nice to see Ryan Tannehill bounce back from his atrocious Week 1 performance with a nice showing in Week 2 against the Chargers. Tannehill saw reduced volume with only 24 pass attempts, but he was efficient by amassing 246 yards, good for 10.3 yards per attempt. He also scored two touchdowns, including one on the ground. Tannehill's true median outcome probably lies somewhere in between Week 1, when he was terrible, and Week 2 when he benefitted from playing a weak opposing secondary. Unfortunately, Tannehill's Week 3 matchup flips back into the difficult category when he will have to travel to Cleveland to face a Browns defense that boasts a strong pass rush. Tannehill's Week 2 showing is enough to make us think he's not completely washed yet, but he is not an advisable fantasy start in Week 3.
Week 2 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Ryan Tannehill looked terrible against the Saints in Week 1 when he only completed 16 of 34 pass attempts for 198 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. The Titans don't ask much from their quarterbacks, but Tannehill was so bad last week he tanked the fantasy outlook of everyone on the offense aside from staring down DeAndre Hopkins for 13 targets. Tannehill gets a small matchup upgrade this week when the Titans host a Chargers defense that just got shredded by Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins. It's too early to totally give up on Tannehill after one bad performance, but if he does not improve his play in the coming weeks there will be real chatter about benching him for Malik Willis or rookie Will Levis. For fantasy, Tannehill is waiver wire material outside of the deepest of leagues.
Week 1 at New Orleans Saints
Ryan Tannehill will kick off his 2023 season traveling to the Superdome to take on the Saints. Tannehill is coming off a lost season where he was frequently hobbled by an ankle injury and dealt with a banged up supporting cast. He is healthy heading into Sunday's matchup in New Orleans, and he has an improved group of pass catchers to work with after the arrival of DeAndre Hopkins in Tennessee. The Saints boasted a firmly mediocre pass defense last season and they project to perform similarly in 2023. Tannehill cannot be considered as a QB1 for fantasy due to the Titans' run-heavy tendencies, but his new cast of pass catchers and an unimposing matchup make him viable as a QB2 or superflex option.
Fantasy Upside
Ryan Tannehill's 2022 numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt given he was frequently hobbled by injuries last season. Tannehill ended up missing five games entirely and was bothered by his ankle issue in several others. The end result was a lost season where Tannehill only managed 13.9 fantasy points per game, good for a low-end QB2 finish. Tannehill is now 35 and the Titans drafted Will Levis as a possible successor under center, but it appears that transition will have to wait at least one more year as Tannehill has been declared the unequivocal starter heading into training camp and the team's signing of DeAndre Hopkins signals they do not want to enter a full blown rebuild quite yet. Tannehill's calling card has always been his game management and efficient, low-volume passing. He still managed to finish fifth in the NFL at 7.8 yards per attempt last season, a sign that he still has some juice left in the tank as a passer. With Hopkins, Treylon Burks, and Chig Okonkwo available as pass catchers, Tannehill has a solid supporting cast and he could still be a workable QB2 if things fall into place.
Fantasy Downside
Tannehill returns to start behind a porous offensive line that is widely regarded as one of the NFL's worst, which is a concern given his injury issues last season and aforementioned age. Tannehill has never been a total statue, but he's not exactly a mobile QB either and it's safe to say his already limited rushing output will only fade as he gets older. The other fantasy concern for Tannehill lies in Tennessee's persistent run-first offensive philosophy, and Derrick Henry will be back to carry the load including 300+ rush attempts. The Titans finished 11th in total rush attempts last year, and that was with them frequently trailing due to poor backup QB play. Tannehill will have to maintain his high-level efficiency to produce box scores useful for fantasy managers.
2023 Bottom Line
Tannehill's fantasy relevance in 2023 will likely be limited to two-QB formats or superflex leagues. He is approaching the age where we would expect his efficiency to start to decline, but he still showed he can get the ball downfield at times last season and his shortcomings are somewhat mitigated by the limited offensive burden placed on the Titans' passing game. He is a QB2 for fantasy and can be left on waivers in most drafts.
Week 15 at Los Angeles Chargers
Ryan Tannehill had a fairly typical borderline QB1 performance in Week 14 against the Jaguars when he threw for 254 yards and two scores with one interception. Jacksonville is one of the league's best matchups for opposing QBs, which is a reminder that Tannehill has a limited fantasy ceiling even if he is an above-average real-life starter. Tannehill gets a small matchup downgrade this week when the Titans travel to LA to play the Chargers, who boast an average defense against opposing passers for fantasy purposes. Tannehill always brings some risk due to the Titans' heavy run-first tendencies and potential positive game script, but this week's game projects to be competitive, making Tannehill a decent streamer or spot-starter if you need a QB1.
Week 14 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Ryan Tannehill had a typical game-manager type performance in Week 13 when he only attempted 22 passes and threw for 141 yards with one score in a tough matchup against the Eagles. Last week was a great reminder that the Titans would rather not depend on Tannehill's arm whenever possible, and he has a low weekly floor when the Titans face a tough defense or dominate on the scoreboard and lean into the running game. Tannehill does get a much easier matchup this week against Jacksonville, who rank among the worst defenses in the NFL at limiting fantasy production of opposing passers. Tannehill makes for a decent streaming or QB2 option this week.
