The Tennessee Titans host the Houston Texans in their final game of the 2024 season. After being eliminated by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14, the Titans have been playing for pride, and they haven’t been doing it very well. They’ve lost their last five games in a row and eight of their last 10. Brian Callahan’s first season as head coach hasn’t gone well, to say the least.
In their first meeting this season, the Titans defeated the Texans in a 32-27 upset victory. Will Levis threw for 278 yards and Tony Pollard ran for 119 yards in their victory, but it’s unclear how much either of them will play on Sunday. Pollard has a nagging foot and ankle injury and is questionable while Levis was benched a few weeks ago. Callahan stated that both Levis and Mason Rudolph will play this week, but that doesn’t always provide an advantage.
Even though it’s a home game, there are so many questions around this Titans’ offense that it’s difficult to predict any kind of fantasy value. Still, in this AFC South battle, there are a handful of players with fantasy value in Week 18. But because there are unknowns about who the Texans will give reps to this week, this version of players to start in fantasy looks a little different for the final rendition of the 2024 season.
Houston DST
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The Houston DST is projected to have the third-best showing of any defensive squad this Sunday. Only the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles defenses are projected more points. And it’s no wonder, the Titans’ offense has been awful all season. However, in their last meeting, the Titans pushed through that Texans’ defense to come away with a win. This week, it’s not going to be the same story. The Titans don’t have a real gameplan on an offense that isn’t going to have much or a run game, and you can be sure this defense that sacked Will Levis eight times in Week 12 has no desire to let the Titans win again.
WR Calvin Ridley
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If we’re being honest, both Will Levis and Mason Rudolph want to find Calvin Ridley. He’s the Titans’ leading receiver and he’s 59 yards from having his second-consecutive 1,000-yard season, the third in his career. In their first meeting this season, Ridley had five receptions for 93 yards but did not find the end zone. Without a run game to speak of on Sunday, the Titans are going to be heavily reliant on Ridley to get the ball down the field.
TE Chigoziem Okonkwo
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Over the last several weeks, Chigoziem Okonkwo has been one of the most reliable pass catchers for the Titans, catching over 74% of the passes thrown his way. In their last meeting with the Texans, Chig had just one catch on one target. But it was a 70-yard touchdown reception that came at a crucial time during the game. The Texans know the Titans’ run game will struggle on Sunday, so they’ll be ready to guard Calvin Ridley. But Chig can be a game changer and has the potential to put up some good fantasy points in the final week of regular season play.
Running back options
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This is one aspect of the Texans and Titans matchup that you must watch until kickoff. Tyjae Spears is already ruled out. Tony Pollard sat out last week with an injury that has nagged him for weeks, and that leaves Julius Chestnut for the Titans. Joe Mixon hasn’t played well of late for the Texans, but he might not even play on Sunday if the Texans choose to rest their starters. Dameon Pierce would be the choice of Mixon doesn’t go. The ground game is going to be ugly this week, so proceed with caution.
Kickers
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Titans’ kicker Nick Folk is still battling an abdominal injury and it’s unclear if he will play on Sunday, but the Titans already waived Matthew Wright so if Folk can’t play, they’ll have to bring someone up again. In their last meeting, Folk was 3-3 on field goal attempts, all of which were over 50 yards, and 3-3 on extra points. If he plays, he should start on all fantasy rosters.
On the flip side, Texans’ kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn isn’t a top-tier kicker, but if his offense can get down the field, he can still put points on the board. It’s a game of numbers, the more opportunities he has to kick a field goal, the more chances he’ll have to make them. So, watch for who the Texans plan to play this week because that will directly impact what Fairbairn will do for fantasy owners.
