Reports surfaced early in the week that Calvin Ridley had an offer from the Patriots but was holding out to see if the Jaguars would offer him more money. Then, when the dust finally settled, he suddenly landed on Tennessee, where he’ll team up with DeAndre Hopkins to form a fearsome WR duo for second-year QB Will Levis. We walked through what a Ridley exit would mean for Jaguars WRs when Gabe Davis signed, so we’ll focus just on the Titans’ side of things today.
CALVIN RIDLEY
Old ranking: 60th overall on Underdog
New ranking: 81st overall on Underdog
- After a blazing start to the year, Ridley simmered down for the Jaguars, getting out-targeted 84-76 by Christian Kirk before Kirk’s injury late in the season. With the Titans, Ridley will again play second fiddle to Hopkins, but he’ll still get fantasy-relevant volume in that role.
- It’s worth noting this is a ton of money for Ridley at four years and $92 million — an average of $23 million per year. That type of commitment demonstrates the Titans see him as someone who could be their WR1, and he could simply beat out Hopkins for that role, especially later in the season considering Hopkins will be 32 years old.
- So much of the Ridley outlook depends on how Levis plays. If he’s good, he can support multiple fantasy-relevant WRs in a new-look offense. If he’s not, it’s going to be very hard for Ridley to have a difference-making season unless he dominates targets over Hopkins and/or falls into outlier efficiency.
DEANDRE HOPKINS
Old ranking: 72nd overall on Underdog
New ranking: TBD
- It’s not a guarantee Hopkins will be on the Titans come September, but he’ll hold a massive role wherever he ends up playing. Nuk posted a ridiculous 27.7% target share in his age-31 season, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down as he prepares to play the 2024 campaign at 32 years old. The age cliff can hit at any time, but Hopkins looks well-equipped to command high-level volume next season. With that being said, Ridley is significantly stronger target competition than anything he dealt with last year (a hodge-podge collection of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Treylon Burks, and Chris Moore) and Levis is a question mark.
- Between those concerns and his advanced age, Hopkins is still a risky click in fantasy drafts, and Ridley’s arrival presents the possibility that he could be usurped for WR1 duties.
OTHER TITANS WRS
- Underdog Fantasy’s Hayden Winks pointed out that Burks played 77% of his snaps in the slot in college and hasn’t found his footing yet in the pros. He could move back there with Ridley and Hopkins occupying the outside WR spots. Burks will be at best the third option for targets assuming Hopkins remains on the team, so it’s hard to get super excited about him with an unproven QB under center, but this isn’t awful news for him because he could be playing a more comfortable position.
- This also means fewer targets for Chig Okonkwo and the RBs, so it’s a slight dock for the other pass catchers. The Titans are still extremely thin at WR and will likely add another ancillary piece in free agency or the draft.
