Jahnke: Fantasy football reactions from the Titans' TNF win over the Bills

Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith (81) celebrates with Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) after scoring during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

In the second Tuesday Night Football game since 1946, the Tennessee Titans were able to take advantage of the injury-troubled Buffalo Bills and dominate the night. The Titans scored on Drive 1 and never let go of the lead, and the game was highlighted by a Derrick Henry run that won’t leave our memories anytime soon. In general, every fantasy-relevant Titan lived up to expectations, while every fantasy-relevant Bill did not.

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As always, this collection of fantasy reactions will include snap counts for skill players on each team along with notes on players who saw their fantasy stocks rise or fall during the action.

Buffalo Bills Tennessee Titans
WR WR
Gabriel Davis – 72 snaps A.J. Brown – 47 snaps
Stefon Diggs – 60 snaps Nick Westbrook – 45 snaps
Cole Beasley – 44 snaps Kalif Raymond – 36 snaps
Andre Roberts – 24 snaps Cody Hollister – 27 snaps
Isaiah McKenzie – 22 snaps
TE TE
Tyler Kroft – 35 snaps Jonnu Smith – 57 snaps
Dawson Knox – 25 snaps Geoff Swaim – 28 snaps
Reggie Gilliam – 4 snaps Anthony Firkser – 23 snaps
HB HB
Devin Singletary – 45 snaps Derrick Henry – 34 snaps
T.J. Yeldon – 27 snaps Jeremy McNichols – 26 snaps
Taiwan Jones – 1 snap Darrynton Evans – 5 snaps
Total – 72 snaps Total – 66 snaps

Winner: WR A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans

Brown had a difficult test ahead of him in this matchup, as the Bills' outside cornerbacks had been doing a good job of shutting down opposing wide receivers. The Titans also had multiple wide receivers miss this game due to positive COVID-19 tests. However, none of that stopped the second-year pass-catcher as he came away with seven catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.

It’s also worth giving Jonnu Smith plenty of credit for his two-touchdown night, although he recorded less than half the number of yards Brown did.

Loser: RB Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills

Singletary was given another opportunity to solidify himself as the Bills' lead back, with Zack Moss missing another game. Instead, he managed only 25 yards on 11 carries. Backup running back T.J. Yeldon was better both as a rusher and a receiver; he recorded over double the yardage totals in both areas and also found the end zone for a receiving touchdown. Given Singletary's ineffectiveness and how much the Bills choose to use Yeldon, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Moss get as much playing time as he can handle once he’s healthy.

Remember The Name: RB Jeremy McNichols, Tennessee Titans

McNichols has been the primary backup for the Titans all season, but this week he ended up playing even more than usual. McNichols has been the Titans' primary third-down back, though Derrick Henry had still seen a decent number of third downs. Tonight, the Titans workhorse played on just one third down, a run play late in the fourth quarter. 

Henry had at least 25 carries in each of the first three games, but that figure fell to just 19 tonight. McNichols went in the opposite direction, seeing nine total carries after failing to breach five over the first month of the season.  It’s entirely possible that Henry sees a somewhat reduced role going forward, with McNichols playing a little more, though the possibility remains that this drop in usage is down to nothing more than the Titans' lack of practice. 

Injury: TE Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills

Knox played in the first half but didn’t return for the second. The Bills tight end had three targets in the first half, leading to one 15-yard catch. In his place, Tyler Kroft took over as the tight end in one-TE sets, though he was not targeted during the game. The Bills' tight ends have had trouble finding fantasy value this season because Buffalo runs more plays without a tight end than any other NFL team. There has only been one game this season where a Bills tight end has caught more than two passes.

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