Week 3 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Rishard Matthews had two catches for eight yards last week and now draws a matchup against the Jaguars. He should not be in your lineup this week.
Week 2 vs. Houston Texans
Rishard Matthews played in just 52 percent of the snaps last week as he made his return from a knee injury that kept him out the entire preseason. His role should be a little more normal moving forward, even though he failed to record a target last week. With Delanie Walker done for the season, look for Matthews to pick up some of the slack. He's worth a shot moving forward as a flex option.
Week 1 at Miami Dolphins
Rishard Matthews is like grits. It's OK for breakfast, but nobody is going out of their way too often to have them. But he's usually perfectly acceptable to have in your lineup as a No. 3 receiver, especially this week against his former team. He was banged up for much of the preseason, which will limit his snap count in this game. The Dolphins allowed the fifth-most yards in the league to opposing receivers last season. You could do worse in deep leagues than using Matthews as a flex option. Don't expect WR3 production yet as he works his way back.
Fantasy Upside
The Titans keep bringing in young receivers, but Rishard Matthews remains the most reliable receiver in this passing game, at least for now. Matthews has a nice rapport with Marcus Mariota, which is nice to have in this kind of situation.
Fantasy Downside
The Titans would love for Corey Davis to become the No. 1 receiver in this offense. It also hasn't been an offense that chucks the ball all over the place.
2018 Bottom Line
Matthews has the trust of the quarterback, which is huge. And he's got some down-the-field talent. He'll have some bad games, but he'll have some big ones, as well. He's the kind of guy you want on your roster in best-ball situations, where you can take advantage of some of those big games. His ADP puts him in rounds 12-14, which means you can wait and grab him as a No. 5 receiver and start him when the matchup is right.
Divisional Round at New England Patriots
Rishard Matthews had just 1 catch for 15 yards last week and will have a tough matchup this week against the Patriots' corners. It's a tough call to put him in the lineup after a one-catch effort last week and just four catches in the past three games. Don't overthink things here. Pass on Matthews.
Wild Card Round at Kansas City Chiefs
Rishard Matthews had just 1 catch for 7 yards last week and now has just 3 receptions in the past two games. Marcus Mariota's ups and downs have made Matthews an afterthought most weeks, but the Titans are going to have to throw the ball to keep up with Kansas City at home. Look for Matthews to bounce back enough this week to be serviceable as a WR2 option.
Week 17 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Rishard Matthews had 2 catches for 48 yards last week and now draws the tough assignment of going against Jacksonville's top-rated pass defense. He had 3 catches for 43 yards in the first meeting against Jacksonville back in Week 2. That might be the best you can hope for in this one. Matthews is a low-end WR3 this week.
Week 16 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Rishard Matthews had a big week, with 6 catches for 95 yards and a score against San Francisco. It's been a rollercoaster kind of season for him, with that game easily being his best since Week 11. Tennessee's passing game has been too erratic to count on from week to week. Matthews shouldn't be used as anything more than a low-end WR3 or FLEX option this week.
Week 15 at San Francisco 49ers
Rishard Matthews returned to the lineup last week but managed just 3 catches for 19 yards as the entire Tennessee passing game struggled mightily. With Marcus Mariota struggling and added competition for targets, Matthews just isn't producing enough to be a low-end WR3 on a weekly basis, including this week against San Francisco.
Week 14 at Arizona Cardinals
Rishard Matthews expects to return to the lineup this week after sitting out last week with a hamstring injury. That said, he could draw a lot of Patrick Peterson, which doesn't bode well for him. Hamstrings can be tricky, as well. Only use Matthews as a WR3 if you don't have a better option available.
