Welcome to Week 5 of the 2025 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
Let's roll...
Matt Waldman: Pick a backfield from the list below and tell us how you see it from now through the rest of the year.
- New England
- Pittsburgh
- Minnesota
- Tennessee
What do you see unfolding?
Tennessee Titans Backfield
Jeff Blaylock: I'll take Tennessee, and I see it going poorly the rest of the season. The Titans rank 28th in rushing yards per game, 25th in yards per rushing attempt, and 30th in receiving yards per target to their running backs. Tennessee has two rushing touchdowns, the fewest of any team.
Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears appeared in 11 games together last season. In those games, Pollard played 125 more snaps and had twice as many touches as Spears.
Week 5 was their first game together this season after Spears missed the first four games with an ankle injury. Unsurprisingly, his usage was less than I would expect to see going forward. The remaining backs have been sparingly used, and I anticipate that will continue unless there is an injury to Pollard or Spears.
Pollard should be viewed as a low-end RB2/top-end RB3 for the rest of the season with the potential for diminishing efficiency due to sustained heavy workloads. Fantasy managers should expect no more of Spears than a touchdown-dependent replacement for players who are injured or on byes.
Minnesota Vikings Backfield
Will Grant: With Aaron Jones Sr. on injured reserve until at least week eight, the primary ball carrier for the Vikings has been Jordan Mason. He has looked solid out of the backfield and still shows good burst when trying to get to the outside. He has also looked good catching the ball out of the backfield.
He has averaged over 5.2 yards per carry over his four-year career and is averaging over 4.7 for the Vikings so far this season. The biggest issue with Mason has been holding on to the ball.
He fumbled in each of the international games, costing the Vikings momentum both times. The Vikings are not as dominant as they were last year, and giving up a fumble in a one-score game could be the difference between a win and a loss.
That has opened the door for Zavier Scott this season, but the rookie has done little with it. Scott is averaging less than 10 touches per game and is more of a third-down receiver or substitution back for Mason than a primary ball carrier.
Unless Mason continues to put the ball on the ground, I don't see Scott as someone who can contribute to your fantasy team, even in PPR leagues. With Jones set to return in a couple of weeks, Mason is the back to have, while Scott is more of a waiver-wire speed dial if something major happens.