Kenny Britt to Titans: Fantasy Spin

The Tennessee Titans finally broke down and drafted wide receiver in the first round, and he's a dynamic talent. Kenny Britt, a Rutgers product, has the physical tools to be a star receiver in the NFL. There are some questions about his attitude, but it's hard to imagine the Titans not doing their due diligence on a kid after the fiasco they just went through with PacMan Jones (to be fair, it's apples vs. oranges: Britt doesn't have any legal issues, just is seen as arrogant by some). I have faith in Jeff Fisher and Kerry Collins to bring this kid along properly.

So, what does Britt's addition mean to the rest of the Tennessee offense from a fantasy perspective?

Britt: He's not entering the offense where he can be a fantasy star, that's for sure. The Titans win football games with running and defense, and they aren't about to change just because they landed a receiver at pick 30. The Titans do plan on using him right away, and he does have the tools to help Collins garner more passing yards. It's worth grabbing him as a WR5 in normal sized leagues just to monitor his development, but he probably won't be of much use this season. In big keeper leagues, I like him less than all other first round receivers, but he should be owned.

Collins: You never want him as your starter, not even in bye weeks in normal-sized leagues. He's more of a depth quarterback, used to safeguard against injury woes that would force you to go with Jim Sorgi or Caleb Hanie. That being said, if you play in a 14-team league or bigger, I can see Collins as a low-end QB2. He could have an unexpected solid statistical games -- like against the Bears last season -- but it will likely be too unpredictable to have him in the lineup. Still, he's not going to make enough mistakes to kill you.

Nate Washington: He had several good fantasy games the past three seasons in a Pittsburgh offense where he was usually the third, fourth or even fifth option through the air. In Tennesee, he'll now begin as their featured deep threat. He takes a step backward in terms of the quarterback slinging him the rock, but Collins is an adequate passer. With Britt in the house and the presence of Chris Johnson in the flats on passing downs, you have to like Washington's chances to shake free occasionally. Don't go crazy, but he's worth drafting as a reserve and using as a bye-week replacement in moderately sized leagues. I'm looking at a low-end WR4 or high-end WR5 in 12-team leagues.

Justin Gage: His value has been decimated this offseason, but, really, how valuable was he really going to be anyway? They desperately needed to replace their starting receivers. It's a wonder teams didn't put like 10 dudes in the box each game in 2008. Gage will still see the field plenty, especially at the start of the season, but he's not going to accrue nearly enough stats to matter in fantasy football. If you find yourself drafting him, you're either reaching, or play in a league where way too many receivers are owned.

LenDale White/Chris Johnson: The additions of both Washington and Britt actually give a slight bump to the value of both running backs. Keeping players out of the box last year was a problem for the Titans, for obvious reasons. It will still be a bit of one, but Washington and Britt have a bit more talent than Gage and Brandon Jones. It never hurts to have that strong safety keeping one eye on the outside.