The Tennessee Titans present one of the more frustrating teams to target for fantasy production. Outside of Derrick Henry, it’s difficult to find a surefire name with a strong fantasy upside. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins profiles as the team’s WR1, but through three weeks his impact has been more of a rollercoaster.
Is it time to drop the 31-year-old in fantasy leagues? We assess whether such a decision is warranted heading into Week 4.
Fantasy football outlook: Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins
Through three games Hopkins is averaging 9.8 PPR fantasy points, which marks the second-lowest fantasy average of his career. He’s seen no shortage of targets, however, as his 25 are well above second-place Treylon Burks, who has 13 for Tennessee. The issue with Hopkins is that for the most part, he’s been unable to translate those opportunities into valuable fantasy production.
That hindrance may fall more on the team construction, as opposed to Hopkins’ skillset. The former All-Pro is clearly Tennessee’s top wideout, but he’s also their only proven threat through the air. Aside from running back Derrick Henry, the Titans have no other legitimate offensive weapon. At 31 years old, it’s clear Hopkins has a set fantasy ceiling, as well as a very low floor when faced against tough matchups.
Verdict
As long as Hopkins’ is healthy, he’s still the Titans’ clear-cut WR1, which means he’s too valuable to drop on the waiver wire. The reality may be however that he’s no longer a surefire starter on a weekly basis. One week he may profile as a flex with upside, and another he may be relegated to the bench entirely. Hopkins doesn’t warrant a drop, but he may be better suited on the bench more weeks than not.
Possible replacements
One of the limiting factors to Hopkins’ upside is Ryan Tannehill’s lower average yards per attempt. When searching for replacements, a key sign would be to target players whose quarterback isn’t afraid to throw deep. Tank Dell of the Houston Texans is a name worth adding, as he’s averaging 16.7 yards per reception through three weeks. Joshua Palmer of the Chargers also has tremendous upside going forward, as he could fill the void left by deep threat Mike Williams, who suffered a torn ACL.