Dynasty Rookie Draft Busts: Tyjae Spears (2023 Fantasy Football)

Avoiding landmines in dynasty drafts will never be an exact science. Just as some players will become fantasy heroes from the later rounds (or even the waiver wire), many others will faceplant in the league and be deemed a “bust.”

For context, all of these players are supreme athletes and better at football than anyone reading this. A bust isn’t a bad football player, but instead one who did not deliver a performance that measures up to the capital to acquire him. Where I completely avoided the likes of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Josh Rosen over the years, it is embarrassing to say I got caught up in plenty of Jalen Reagor and Mitchell Trubisky hype. The only thing we can really do is our best.

The 2023 rookie class was hyped up throughout last season. Many dynasty managers stockpiled 2023 picks to cast a wide net on what was to be a stellar group of future fantasy stars. By the time the NFL Draft rolled around, a good many of those touted stars lost a lot of value. This left a vacuum for certain players to rise up and gain value in rookie drafts based on flimsy stats like draft capital and perceived good landing spots. I am urging everyone to avoid these players at cost in their rookie drafts, due to their ADP writing checks their talent is unlikely to be able to cash.

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Dynasty Rookie Busts: Tyjae Spears

Tyjae Spears (RB – TEN)

The buzz around Tyjae Spears started when he eviscerated the wet paper bag known as the USC Trojans defense for 200 yards and four touchdowns in the Cotton Bowl. He then was a standout performer in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, which put his draft stock into a dizzying ascent. Just one taco over 200 pounds, Spears is an exciting runner with big play chops both as a runner and receiver. His third round draft capital isn’t surprising, but his rookie draft ADP has stayed strong in the early to mid-second round. Why? He figures to be able to compete for touches behind an aging Derrick Henry.

The bad news. Pre-draft medical exams revealed extensive cartilage loss and early signs of arthritis in his twice-repaired right knee. He also has gotten by without an ACL in that knee, which puts an ominous expiration date on the stability of the joint. Even if he is able to cope for having no ACL, the arthritis is a long-term concern for his flexibility and mobility in the knee. Look no further than with the precipitous decline of Todd Gurley. RBs already deal with the shortest shelf life of any position in professional football. Even if he can carve out some meaningful touches for the Titans, I have a really hard time investing a valuable rookie pick on a player with such a high risk of career-threatening injury.