It took more than a few weeks, but the next quarterback of the 2023 NFL Draft class finally made his debut in Week 8. Well Levis, whom the Tennessee Titans took in the second round of this year’s draft, stepped in for the injured Ryan Tannehill, leading Tennessee to a 28-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Is Levis worth a look in fantasy leagues this week? We break down the upside of adding the Titans’ rookie quarterback to rosters.
Titans QB Will Levis: Week 9 waiver wire
Levis is rostered in just 0.9 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues, while his rostership percentage in Yahoo leagues is just 3.0 percent. It’s safe to say he’ll be more than available in all leagues, and though his sample-size performance is small, it was significant nonetheless. Levis finished 19/29 for 238 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions for 26.62 fantasy points in Week 8.
His strong performance comes at an opportune time, with Week 9 boasting four teams on their bye week. Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, Brock Purdy, and Russell Wilson will be off the schedule. Additionally, fantasy managers of Kirk Cousins will need to find a new option, after the veteran reportedly tore his Achilles in Week 8.
Levis may not boast QB1 fantasy upside right now, but he’s an interesting candidate in 2-QB leagues. Additionally, he could be a decent desperation play for fantasy managers impacted by the bye week, or who are forced to pivot in light of Cousins’ season-ending injury. He also has a decent matchup on the horizon with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are allowing 15.3 fantasy PPG to quarterbacks. Granted, the road matchup setting, on Thursday Night Football no less, is far from enticing.
Ultimately, Levis should be treated as a QB2 with some intriguing upside, making him a viable bench roster addition. In larger fantasy leagues of 12 to 14 teams, and for fantasy managers impacted by the bye week or injuries, he boasts some upside albeit with clear risk given the small sample size.
