DeAndre Hopkins vs Calvin Ridley: Which Titans WR to draft in fantasy football?
Situation
After five seasons with the Bengals, new head coach Brain Callahan comes to the Titans expecting to bring a pass-heavy scheme and more up-tempo offense than the team has used in prior years. The team has poured various resources into the offensive line to help support this transition, using the seventh overall pick on tackle JC Latham and giving center Lloyd Cushenberry $50 million in free agency. Callahan was also able to convince his father, legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan, to join a team that's flush with young, high draft capital offensive lineman.
Quarterback Will Levis enters his second season looking to expand on some of the flashes he showed as a rookie. So far this pre-season, Levis has completed over 84% of his passes and led the Titans on scoring drives on each of the four possessions he's played.
The Titans wide receiver room was filled out earlier this offseason with the addition of Tyler Boyd, who will be a key fixture in the slot for the team. Boyd joins DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley in a room that also includes former first round pick Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and rookie sixth round pick Jha'quan Jackson.
Role & Target Share
Assuming Hopkins is back by Week 1, per the team's latest update, he's expected to reprise his role as the starting "X" receiver for the Titans. Ridley will be the team's outside "Z" receiver and Boyd will play the same slot role that he's manned for years in Callahan's offense. The team's starting wide receivers will see plenty of opportunity in a Callahan offense that ranked second in pass rate and sixth in target share for wide receivers last season.
Hopkins was the alpha last season, finishing with a 26.9% target share from Will Levis, per Fantasy Points Data. The Clemson product was used as a down field threat frequently in a play-action heavy offense. The veteran finished with his highest yards per reception since 2017 and was second in the league in both air yards and deep targets, per Pro Football Network. Given the change in offensive system to more quick passing and the added target competition, Hopkins' target share and yards per reception are likely to decline this season.
Ridley scored eight touchdowns in his lone season as a Jaguar, a mark that he's hit in three of the four NFL seasons in which he's played at least six games (a mark Hopkins has hit only once in his past five seasons). The Fort Lauderdale native had a higher contested catch rate in 2023 than Hopkins and projects as a better down field and red zone threat at this point in their careers. Given his big play ability and red zone usage, Ridley should push for the lead the team in yardage and touchdowns even if he isn't the team's target leader.