Shonn Greene, Bishop Sankey, Leon Washington's Post-Week 16 Fantasy Reaction

Veteran Shonn Greene and emerging second-round rookie Bishop Sankey have jostled for carries in the Tennessee Titans' backfield this season, which has diminished their respective fantasy values.

Sankey continued to shoulder most of the workload on the ground in Thursday's Week 16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars but wasn't too effective.

Player	Rushes/Yds	Receptions/Targets	Rec. Yds	TD	Fantasy Points
Greene	7/28	—	—	0	2
Sankey	14/44	1/2	9	0	4
Washington	4/11	7/7	62	1 (rec)	13

It was Leon Washington who emerged as a receiving threat in the early going, recording seven catches on as many targets for 62 yards and an eight-yard touchdown. Sigmund Bloom of FootballGuys.com weighed in on Washington's emergence:

Washington is indeed an explosive player who has been deployed as a returner throughout his career. Since he registered just seven carries on the season entering Week 16, his only possible fantasy value would have come in PPR formats as a situational pass-catcher, which still would have been a stretch.

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman summarized the overall theme of the Jags' 21-13 victory well, though:

Although Sankey is a capable receiver, Tennessee likely chose Washington to keep the Jaguars defense honest, since he had to have a better grasp of pass protection than the first-year back.

Anything to alleviate the burden on career backup Charlie Whitehurst was going to be beneficial to the Titans' game plan. Sankey and Greene have just two total touchdowns apiece all season, and Washington matched that in Week 16.

Since Greene averaged just 3.6 yards per carry ahead of Thursday's contest, and Sankey has struggled with consistency, neither should have been counted on for much in fantasy—even against Jacksonville's 27th-ranked run defense.