Fantasy football outlook for Titans WRs: Should you draft DeAndre Hopkins or Calvin Ridley?

Mike Moraitis

Fantasy football outlook for Titans WRs: Should you draft DeAndre Hopkins or Calvin Ridley? image

The Tennessee Titans' offense is going to look a lot different in 2024 after the team parted ways with running back Derrick Henry and brought in head coach Brian Callahan, who figures to utilize a more pass-heavy approach.

Quarterback Will Levis will be in his first full season after showing a ton of promise during his rookie campaign despite having lackluster receiving options and the worst offensive line in the sport.

Levis will have DeAndre Hopkins as one of his top options once again, but this time around Levis has even more help in the form of Calvin Ridley, who was signed in free agency.

Hopkins showed he has plenty left in the tank in 2023, reeling in 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns, most of which came after Levis took over in Week 8. He finished as WR30 overall in terms of fantasy points per game, per Fantasy Pros

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

Meanwhile, Ridley is coming over from the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he broke the 1,000-yard mark but had an inconsistent season overall. He finished as WR28 in fantasy points per contest.

So, which one of these receivers should you prioritize in fantasy football drafts? Let's take a deeper dive and find out.

Fantasy football outlook for Tennessee Titans WRs

DeAndre Hopkins fantasy football outlook

The biggest concern for Hopkins currently is that he's dealing with a knee injury and his Week 1 status remains up in the air. Head coach Brian Callahan recently stated that the team is hoping to have him for Week 1.

That said, Hopkins should return to his role as the No. 1 receiver in Tennessee's offense, the role he assumed last season when he was Levis' top target in a receiving corps. that was seriously lacking options.

There is going to be a lot more competition for targets in 2024, though, after the Titans signed Ridley and slot receiver Tyler Boyd. But there are reasons for optimism that Hopkins can still produce at a high level.

Hopkins already has great chemistry with Levis, so that should keep the veteran wideout as the young signal-caller's top option, at least from the jump. Also, the Titans are moving to a more pass-heavy offense and Hopkins will have less attention on him now that he has more help.

2024 PPR RANKINGS
Top 250 Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF/ST | K

Calvin Ridley fantasy football outlook

Levis looked Ridley's way plenty during the offseason practices, and the pair connected on some passes during the preseason, so they look to be on the same page as they prepare for their first season together.

Ridley also offers the Titans the kind of deep threat they were lacking in 2023. Levis loves to push the ball down the field, so Ridley should benefit from that and may not need a ton of targets and receptions to post great fantasy performances.

Ridley's 2023 campaign with the Jags was no doubt disappointing, but there were several things at play there.

2024 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QB | RB | WR | TE 

Luckily, the Titans have former Jaguars passing game coordinator Nick Holz as their offensive coordinator, so if Ridley was a major cause of those problems, the Titans wouldn't have signed him. Further, Holz knows what went wrong and can correct that in Nashville.

Admittedly, Ridley remains a bit of a wild card because he has never played in a regular season game with Levis, but there is enough here to believe that, at worst, Ridley can match what he did last season.

2024 STANDARD, NON-PPR RANKINGS
Top 250 Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | K

The verdict: Which Titans WR should you draft in fantasy football?

Because of his history with Levis, Hopkins remains the safer bet between the two. However, Ridley offers more upside because of his ability to make plays down the field. That said, both receivers should come off the board around the same time in drafts, and somewhere in the middle rounds.

Whoever you take is ideally your third option at wide receiver, as both would be fantastic flex options. But you could definitely do worse in your WR2 spot.

Hopkins projection: High-end flex with WR2 upside

Ridley projection: High-end flex with WR2 upside

Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis Photo

After cutting his teeth with Bleacher Report, Mike Moraitis has covered the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans for FanSided, and the Titans and New York Giants for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. On top of his duties with Sporting News, Mike is the managing editor and lead writer for Titans Wire.