The Tennessee Titans have gotten off to a rough start to the Cam Ward era after drafting the QB with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They managed a win over the Cardinals, but they are just 1-5 after losing in Week 6 to the Raiders.
On Monday, they fired coach Brian Callahan the week before hosting his predecessor Mike Vrabel and the Patriots. In that game, the Titans could also be without top receiver Calvin Ridley, who left the game in Vegas with a hamstring injury. His absence could open the door for Elic Ayomanor, Van Jefferson or Chig Okonkwo to step up and be a top fantasy producer in the coming weeks.
Let’s take a look at who Ward will have to target for his new coach in Week 7 against the Patriots if Ridley is forced to miss this matchup.
Calvin Ridley Injury Update
Ridley left Sunday’s game in the first half after just one catch for 18 yards, and since he left before halftime, bets were refunded by DraftKings Sportsbook. He remained on the bench with his helmet off and iced his hamstring. He was questionable to return but was ultimately ruled out.
After the game, Callahan said Ridley was unable to run, which could mean he’ll miss some time.
Since the team made a change at head coach on Monday, there wasn’t much of an update on Ridley’s status, but depending on the severity of the injury, he could miss multiple weeks or be available in Week 7.
A-Yo! Time for Elic?
One of the top candidates to get more work and become a major fantasy option in the Titans’ offense is rookie Elic Ayomanor. Ayomanor has been starting across from Ridley most of the season, with his snap count hovering around 70-80%. In Week 6, though, that number spiked to 93%.
He only caught three of his five targets for 27 yards, and last week in the team’s win over the Cards, he only had two catches for 18 yards. Remember, though, early in the season he showed a lot of potential upside and was trending the right way.
With Ridley out, more targets will be available, and he could be the breakout contributor the Titans need to get their passing game in gear. He’s an interesting option to consider on the waiver wire for Week 7, and he could even be an emergency starter if Ridley is out. I wouldn’t quite put him in “must-start” territory, but he’d bring good upside.
Van on the move
While Ayomanor didn’t get a huge usage boost in Week 6, Van Jefferson led the team with 75 receiving yards and hauled in four of his six targets. The second-round pick from Florida has played with the Rams, Falcons and Steelers over his six seasons but has never been able to hold fantasy relevance.
He will get more snaps if Ridley is out, after he played a season-high 74% of snaps on Sunday. He doesn’t have as high a ceiling as Ayomanor, but in deep leagues he could be useful while helping to fill in for Ridley.
Chig Okonkwo a sleeper starter?
Okonkwo tied for the team lead in targets with Jefferson and led the team with six catches for 46 yards on Sunday against the Raiders. Okonkwo has flashed potential in the past and has 23 catches on 30 targets in his six games this year.
He has four catches and 40+ yards in three of his last four games, with the only letdown a one-catch game against the Texans when the Titans were shut out.
While he hasn’t found the end zone yet, his usage is high enough that with just a few of Ridley’s targets coming his way, he could be a fringe starter or at least a bye week fill-in at tight end. This week especially he has my attention, since the Patriots have been a very favorable matchup for opposing tight ends.
The Bottom Line
The Titans’ offense has been pretty ugly this season, so no one in the mix is safe as a starting option. There is definitely potential, though, with a new coach taking over and possibly jump-starting the offense. If Ridley is out, Ayomanor could definitely enter the conversation as a WR3 or flex option and Okonkwo could be a backup tight end worth playing.
In Week 7 DFS contests, like the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st], the Titans are all extremely cheap due to their issues this year. Ayomanor is only $4,200, Okonkwo is only $3,300 in his great matchup, and Jefferson is even cheaper at only $3,200. If you’re looking for ways to stretch your salary, all three have potential as bargain options with value upside this week.
