Page updated
Tennessee Titans · 2026
Who is Tony Pollard’s handcuff?
Explore the full Tennessee Titans depth chart, player roles and draft history
The published handcuff answer
Julius Chestnut
Behind Tony Pollard · TEN
Julius Chestnut is the preferred fantasy handcuff to Tony Pollard in our published Week 7 Tennessee Titans analysis. This backfield has committee uncertainty, so an absence could split the work between multiple backs.
Chestnut is next up by elimination only
Handcuff score
Backup opportunity, not projected points or an injury probability.
Analysis published . Status and role notes reflect that board.
Check official availability and your league’s transaction rules before adding.
Tennessee Titans backfield overview
If Tony Pollard misses time
Today's Week 7 inactive list names RB Tyjae Spears and RB Nick Singleton among Tennessee's inactives, so Spears did not clear his managed knee this week. That leaves Chestnut, Michael Carter and Kalel Mullings dressed behind Tony Pollard, who practised in full. Chestnut is the listed No. 3 and the big-bodied short-yardage body, which makes him next by elimination rather than by role - he has no carries in four games, Carter's 2026 usage is genuinely unknown, and Mullings has one carry, so an unresolved committee is the honest read and confidence stays low. Chestnut is free almost everywhere; he would need Pollard to sit, and even then the short-yardage work may be all he gets.
Tyjae Spears (knee) and Nicholas Singleton are both inactive for Week 7 against Cleveland, thinning Tennessee's room to Tony Pollard plus Julius Chestnut, Michael Carter and Kalel Mullings. Pollard practised in full and carries no designation. Spears has been managing the knee all season and has been active off a questionable tag twice since Week 4, so this absence reads as week-to-week management rather than a new injury with a stated timeline - hold him as the better longer-term complement, since his passing-down role returns when he does. Chestnut is the eligible body today.
Big-bodied short-yardage and special-teams back. With Pollard and Spears both ankle-limited as of Sept. 23 he is the healthy veteran body in a thinned room, but Sept. 23 coverage pointed to rookie Nicholas Singleton, not Chestnut, as the workload beneficiary. Depth piece rather than a next-man-up hold.
- availability_unverified
- stale_availability
- conflicting_availability
- thin_profile
- unresolved_committee
- no_2026_carries
- role_unknown
- spears_returns_later
- short_yardage_only
Why this candidate scores here
Other candidates in this backfield
Michael Carter
unknown · score 43/100
Kalel Mullings
Role not established · score 43/100
Candidates and scores are from the same published board. A split workload can limit the upside of any one backup.
The production behind the names
2026 regular season. Recorded production, not a projection. A missing stat line is not a zero.
| Player | Games with stats | Carries | Receptions | Total yards | PPR / game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 112 | 11 | 528 | 12.5 |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Carries + receptions, last 6 recorded games in 2026
Carries + receptions, last 5 recorded games in 2026
Totals include all teams played for that season. Per-game averages use games with recorded stats. Source: nflverse player statistics.
Handcuff, backup and next-man-up questions
Who is Tony Pollard’s handcuff?
Julius Chestnut is the preferred fantasy handcuff to Tony Pollard in our published Week 7 Tennessee Titans analysis. This backfield has committee uncertainty, so an absence could split the work between multiple backs.
Who is the backup running back behind Tony Pollard?
Julius Chestnut is the preferred replacement candidate in the published Tennessee Titans board. The board lists him at RB3. A fantasy handcuff recommendation and an official depth-chart position can differ; compare the full team chart and role evidence.
Who is next up if Tony Pollard misses a game?
Julius Chestnut is the preferred fantasy handcuff to Tony Pollard in our published Week 7 Tennessee Titans analysis. This backfield has committee uncertainty, so an absence could split the work between multiple backs. Other published candidates include Michael Carter, Kalel Mullings. Today's Week 7 inactive list names RB Tyjae Spears and RB Nick Singleton among Tennessee's inactives, so Spears did not clear his managed knee this week. That leaves Chestnut, Michael Carter and Kalel Mullings dressed behind Tony Pollard, who practised in full. Chestnut is the listed No. 3 and the big-bodied short-yardage body, which makes him next by elimination rather than by role - he has no carries in four games, Carter's 2026 usage is genuinely unknown, and Mullings has one carry, so an unresolved committee is the honest read and confidence stays low. Chestnut is free almost everywhere; he would need Pollard to sit, and even then the short-yardage work may be all he gets.
Should I add Julius Chestnut as a handcuff?
Consider Julius Chestnut if you have a spare bench spot and want exposure to the replacement role behind Tony Pollard. His value depends on availability, competition for carries and receiving work, and your league’s roster rules. A handcuff is not automatically a useful starter this week. Review the dated analysis, current injury reports and the next kickoff before adding.
Compare backup running backs and next-man-up candidates for every team. Published depth and scores come from the documented roster, depth-chart and scoring process; they do not establish game-day availability.
Sources behind the analysis
Published analysis may use automated research. How evidence and recommendations are handled.
Already rostered? Explore another backfield.
Get the next window’s board.
Free board emails before and after game windows.