While there were certainly higher profile teams that failed to meet expectations last year, none of them endured the level of inseason collapse of the Tennessee Titans. The AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021, the Titans won seven of their first 10 games in 2022 before dropping seven in a row to finish 7-10. At the heart of their struggles was a brutal offense that finished in the bottom five in points, yards, and passing as the quarterback trio of Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis, and Joshua Dobbs combined to average 171.4 yards per game through the air.
Despite those struggles, Tennessee made few moves to upgrade that part of the offense. In fact, wide receiver Robert Woods, who led the team with 527 yards receiving, is gone, and the only addition of note is 30-year-old WR Chris Moore. The Titans did potentially identify their quarterback of the future in Will Levis, though at this point the plan is to go with Tannehill as QB1 while Levis develops.
As you’d suspect, the passing game was better during the 12 games Tannehill played, averaging 211.3 yards per game, which would’ve ranked 19th in the NFL. Still, this looks like a work in progress, so let’s check out the receiving corps and identify who might hold some fantasy value in 2023.
Treylon Burks
When the Titans shipped WR A.J. Brown off to the Philadelphia Eagles, they took the first-round pick they acquired and used it to draft Burks, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound wideout who looked well suited to step into Brown’s role and at least approximate his skill set. For the first season, that didn’t work out too well as the then-rookie managed just 33 receptions, 444 yards, and one touchdown in 11 games — he spent time on IR with turf toe and later missed two games with a concussion.
There’s plenty of blame to go around for Burks’ numbers (injuries, quarterback play, inexperience), so don’t get too down on the second-year pro. On paper, he’s the clear top option at the position with physical talent the rest of the depth chart can only dream about. Burks also has drawn praise during the offseason program, which is a reminder the team still very much views him as an ascending talent.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
A former undrafted free agent, Westbrook-Ikhine has been a solid find, averaging 31.5 receptions, 437 yards, and 3.5 touchdowns while appearing in 33 of 34 games the past two seasons. Tennessee non-tendered him as a restricted free agent but ended up re-signing him to a one-year deal. The Indiana product has good size (6-foot-2, 211 pounds), and he paced the club in yards per catch (15.9) last year, so it’s not hard to envision him being someone they take some deep shots with this season.
Kyle Philips and Chris Moore
Philips is an undersized slot receiver who began his NFL career with six catches for 66 yards against the New York Giants in Week 1. He’d appear in just three more games as a rookie, however, as shoulder and hamstring injuries spoiled his debut campaign. While it’s only one season, Philips’ durability must be a bit of a concern. Still, with his route running and quickness, the UCLA product could carve out a sizable role if he can stay healthy.
As noted earlier, the Titans signed Moore after he posted a 48-548-2 line with the Houston Texans. It was by far the most productive effort of the veteran’s six seasons, and he projects as a depth signing in case they need to plug a reliable pro into the lineup.
Fantasy football outlook
No matter who lines up under center for the Titans, Burks should be the No. 1 read. That means it’s Burks and then everyone else with Tennessee’s receivers, and one could soundly argue a case for TE Chigoziem Okonkwo being second in target share.
Even with that, Burks doesn’t rate as a reliable starting fantasy wideout. Target him as a WR4 with upside and hope he takes the leap. After that, the name to know is Philips, whose ability to work close to the line of scrimmage should make him an enticing short-yardage option for Tannehill. Put him on your watch list. Ignore the others.
