2022 Fantasy Upside
Robert Woods is now in Tennessee via trade as the Titans acquired the veteran from the Rams in exchange for a sixth-round pick after he suffered a torn ACL to end his 2021 season last November. The good news on the health front is Woods participated in OTAs in June and reports regarding his recovery have been positive. The good news on the football front is Woods' lack of target competition in his new offense. The Titans drafted Treylon Burks in the first round and the rookie will surely command a decent target share in 2022, but A.J. Brown and Julio Jones are both gone now, leaving a massive hole in the team's target distribution in their wake. Woods had a reduced role in LA with Matthew Stafford under center, but a move to Tennessee fits Woods well as he has always been a great run blocker and as a result should see a ton of snaps working in front of Derrick Henry. If Woods' health cooperates, he has value as arguably the top target in the Titans passing game as Burks works his way into the pro ranks.
2022 Fantasy Downside
Needless to say, a 30-year-old wideout coming off an ACL tear has some red flags when it comes to fantasy. Woods only lasted nine games last year before going down with the serious knee injury, and at 30 his injury risk will only climb from here on out. Woods is also moving from the high-flying, new-look Rams offense to Tennessee, who would prefer to feed Derrick Henry than air it out with Ryan Tannehill and regularly play one of the most run-heavy styles in the NFL. Woods is not much of a big-play threat at this stage, meaning volume is an important factor to his production. Woods was already relegated to borderline starter status last year when Cooper Kupp emerged to dominate targets in LA, and if Burks emerges quicker than expected or Woods just cannot get right physically, that trend could continue in 2022.
2022 Bottom Line
Woods certainly comes with plenty of risk given his age and recent injury issues, but his current ADP is outside the top 100 picks and there is a strong possibility he leads the Titans in targets and catches this season. If Woods falls into the later rounds, he is a great value as a WR2/Flex target.
