Ryan Tannehill: 2020 Dynasty Profile

Past Production

The Dolphins drafted Ryan Tannehill out of Texas A&M with the eighth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to be their new long-term starting quarterback. While Tannehill decently filled that role from 2012-2016, he didn’t make much of an impact for fantasy owners. He ultimately failed to flash the upside he showed in college. Outside of 2014, Tannehill was nothing more than a back-end QB2, and he was a dynasty afterthought outside of superflex leagues.

In 2017, Tannehill tore his ACL during training camp, leading the Dolphins to sign Jay Cutler as his replacement. However, the Dolphins returned to Tannehill for the 2018 season. While Tannehill wasn’t terrible in real life, he did nothing for fantasy owners, and he struggled with shoulder and ankle pain throughout the season.

After 2018, the Dolphins moved on from head coach Adam Gase, and new head coach Brian Flores decided to go in a different direction at quarterback. Therefore, the Dolphins traded Tannehill to the Titans to back up incumbent starter Marcus Mariota. Even though Tannehill was the backup, many thought he should start over Mariota. Despite some smoke surrounding a training camp quarterback battle, Mariota managed to win the Week 1 starting job.

Tannehill eventually replaced an ineffective Mariota in Week 6, and he claimed the starting position from Week 7 onward. Over the final 10 games, Tannehill shined. He averaged 260 passing yards/game and threw 22 touchdowns compared to only five interceptions. Tannehill also added fantasy points with his legs, rushing for 181 yards and four touchdowns. Due to his solid all-around play, Tannehill was the QB3 once he became the starter. He saved many dynasty and redraft players who picked him up from the waiver wire, and he was a part of many champions in 2019.

2020 Outlook

While Tannehill had a great 2019 season, I still expect the Titans to be a run-first offense in 2020. They will feature running back Derrick Henry, who recently signed a 4-year, $50 million contract extension. The Titans also lack high-end receiving weapons outside of A.J. Brown. Even though they have some upside in tight end Jonnu Smith and wide receiver Corey Davis, neither player has proven much in the NFL. 

Tannehill is unlikely to duplicate either his extreme rushing or passing efficiency metrics from 2019. He scored four rushing touchdowns on only 43 carries, and he posted a 7.7% touchdown rate. Neither of those marks lines up with his previous career numbers, so there’s a possibility that 2019 was a perfect storm of outliers in Tannehill’s favor. Therefore, based on the risk, Tannehill comes in as only my QB15 in 2020.

Dynasty Analysis

In dynasty leagues, I feel that Tannehill should carry more value than he does. He recently signed a massive contract extension that the Titans cannot escape until 2022 at the earliest. Therefore, Tannehill will play both 2020 and 2021 as a starting quarterback, and he should be at least a mid-QB2 over that time. 

I would be happy to have Tannehill as my QB2 on almost any superflex roster, making him a great trade target. In superflex leagues, I would quickly pay a random 2021 first-round rookie pick for Tannehill, but you might be able to acquire him for less than that. Generally, mid-tier quarterbacks don’t get the respect they should in superflex leagues, and Tannehill is no different. His two-year floor makes him a perfect option for dynasty contenders.

Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.