Week 17 at Houston Texans
DeAndre Hopkins took a step back in terms of statistical production with Ryan Tannehill under center in relief of Will Levis. Hopkins only saw four targets from Tannehill, catching two of them for 20 scoreless yards. The good news is Levis is off the injury report and will start in Week 17 against the Texans. Hopkins was regularly seeing double-digit (or close to it) targets from Levis before his injury. The Houston pass defense is nothing to be afraid of, and the Titans are four-point underdogs on the road meaning they may have to throw more than usual this week. Hopkins will still dominate passing volume amongst the Tennessee pass catchers despite last week's poor showing, which makes him a solid flex option or low-end WR2 if you're in a bind for Week 17.
Week 16 vs. Seattle Seahawks
DeAndre Hopkins has had a productive stretch recently with rookie Will Levis under center, but the Titans will have to turn back to Ryan Tannehill in Week 16 with Levis dealing with a high-ankle sprain. Hopkins' 28.7% target share ranks 10th in the NFL for receivers, and he's finished as a WR2 or better in three of his last five games. The insertion of Tannehill into the starting lineup is an unwanted disruption of recent trends, but Hopkins will get to face off with a Seahawks secondary that is below-average in most metrics and could be missing stud rookie CB Devon Witherspoon on Sunday. Hopkins has more uncertainty than usual with the Titans' current QB situation, but his projected volume is undeniable and does enough to get him into the flex conversation for the fantasy playoffs.
Week 15 vs. Houston Texans
DeAndre Hopkins continues to hog the targets in Tennessee as he saw 12 more against the Dolphins. Although he only caught five of those, Hopkins was efficient with his touches by racking up 75 yards and a touchdown. Hopkins ranks fifth in the NFL in total air yards this season and has a robust 28% target share. While he is not catching a ton of balls, Hopkins is getting targets deep down the field and in the red zone which have kept him afloat as a legitimate starting option in fantasy. Now Hopkins gets a Texans defense that has had serious issues slowing opposing passing games this year and just got shredded by Zach Wilson. Hopkins ranks as a solid WR2 for fantasy this week.
Week 14 at Miami Dolphins
The only consistent part of the Titans' passing offense, DeAndre Hopkins logged another 12 targets in Week 13. He only caught five of those, but one of them went for a touchdown and he still reached 75 receiving yards due to his consistently robust aDOT (14.6, good for 8th deepest at the position). The Titans' targets are concentrated towards Hopkins and he frequently sees looks deep down the field from Will Levis. While this setup can lead to inconsistency, it also leads to some big performances when things click. Hopkins will likely have to carry a heavy workload this week as the Titans try to keep pace with the Dolphins' explosive offense. Hopkins works as a low-end WR2 or flex option in Week 14.
Week 13 vs. Indianapolis Colts
DeAndre Hopkins has had volatile production since rookie Will Levis took over for Ryan Tannehill at QB in Tennessee. Hopkins finished as the weekly WR2 when Levis debuted in Week 8, but since that game has logged weekly finishes of WR27, WR57, WR18, and then posted 3-49-0 on five targets in Week 12. Hopkins looks like he has a WR2 ceiling for fantasy with Levis under center, but he also carries a low floor in games where the Titans can establish a positive game script and pound the run with Derrick Henry. The Colts are a neutral matchup for opposing wideouts, so it's probably best to think of Hopkins as a volatile WR3 in fantasy this week.
Week 12 vs. Carolina Panthers
DeAndre Hopkins managed to catch his fourth touchdown of the season last week to save his day, but he only saw five total targets and was on the field for just 66% of the offensive snaps for Tennessee. Hopkins is clearly Will Levis' favorite target and that alone gets him into the flex conversation, but he will carry a low-floor being part of a run-heavy offense with a rookie playing QB. To add to the concern around Hopkins, Week 12 brings a tough matchup against a Panthers defense that is poor against the run but actually quite strong against opposing passing games. Hopkins is at risk of a floor game this week should the Titans be able to dictate game script and lean on Derrick Henry. Hopkins' role makes him a WR3 for fantasy, but he comes with plenty of risk.
Week 11 at Jacksonville Jaguars
After a spike game in Week 8 with Will Levis making his debut, neither Levis nor Hopkins have been able to replicate the downfield success they produced in that game. In Week 10, Hopkins only managed three catches for 27 scoreless yards even with the Titans falling behind and being forced to throw. Hopkins has a healthy 25 targets in three games since Levis took over as the starter, but the rookie signal caller's struggles will trickle down to his pass catchers, primarily Hopkins. Hopkins gets a decent matchup against the Jaguars this week, making him a volume-based flex option in fantasy lineups.
Week 10 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DeAndre Hopkins didn’t find the end zone last week in a loss to the Steelers after scoring three touchdowns in Will Levis’ debut in Week 8. He ended up catching four balls for 60 yards as the Titans struggled with the Pittsburgh pass rush. Hopkins was targeted 11 times in Levis’ second start, however, and it’s clear the rookie quarterback knows who his most talented pass-catcher is.
This week, Hopkins faces a Tampa Bay defense that ranks 30th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers, and was just absolutely torched by the Texans’ receiving corps, including former Cowboy Noah Brown. Expect a good performance from Hopkins against a vulnerable secondary and we have him ranked as a quality WR1 option. Start him in every fantasy league.
Week 9 at Pittsburgh Steelers
A combination of pedestrian production to-date and a questionable QB situation put a serious dent in Hopkins' fantasy projections heading into Week 8, but those projections will have to be adjusted this week as Hopkins exploded with Will Levis under center. Hopkins only saw six targets but was extremely efficient, catching four passes for 128 yards and three scores. Hopkins has been unremarkable this season but the insertion of Levis into the starting lineup is a variable that could boost his fantasy prospects significantly if the young passer seizes the starting job. The Steelers are having a hard time slowing down opposing receivers this season, which makes Hopkins an interesting flex option heading into Week 9.
Week 8 vs. Atlanta Falcons
DeAndre Hopkins logged a nice performance in Week 5, but he crashed back to Earth in Week 6 when he saw just five targets and only caught one of them for 20 scoreless yards. Hopkins will always maintain a strong target share in the Tennessee offense given his lack of proven target competition ((he's still sitting at 29% on the season), but the injury to Ryan Tannehill threatens the fantasy prospects of just about everyone in the Titans' offense. Rookie second-round pick Will Levis is set to make his first regular season start this week, and it will come against a tough opposing defense in the Falcons. Levis under center lowers Hopkins' floor and ceiling, making him a high-risk flex option at best this week.
