Should I Draft Player Calvin Ridley or DeAndre Hopkins for Fantasy Football? Who Is The Titans WR1 for 2024?

August 28, 2024

Should fantasy football managers draft Calvin Ridley or DeAndre Hopkins higher in their upcoming drafts? Which will be the Tennessee Titans' WR1 for 2024? Craig Rondinone analyzes if Ridley or Hopkins will be the top receiver for Tennessee this year.

The run-first Derrick Henry-led offenses for the Tennessee Titans are history. Instead of relying on ground-and-pound, the Titans' offense will revolve around two wonderful wideouts who have posted several 1,000-yard years. New head coach Brian Callahan spearheaded one of the most dangerous aerial attacks in the NFL when he called the plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, and he has brought that pass-first mentality to Tennessee.

Tennessee spent multimillions on their receiving corps, namely their top two pass catchers. DeAndre Hopkins signed a two-year, $26 million deal in 2023 to become the main man in the Titans passing attack. Then this past offseason the Titans reopened their wallet and lavished Calvin Ridley with a four-year deal worth a whopping $92 million.

Will Levis finds Calvin Ridley WIDE OPEN for a 33-yard gain! Another explosive play off play-action. Levis is 6/6 for 112 yards after 1 quarter in New Orleans #TENvsNO pic.twitter.com/QY7L0UN5Ng

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— Justin Graver (@titansfilmroom) August 25, 2024

So which millionaire receiver will be Tennessee’s WR1 in 2024, Hopkins or Ridley? Let’s take a look at who Will Levis’s top target will be this year:

Who Is The Tennessee Titans WR1 for 2024?

While Ridley gets a slight bump out of the gate because Hopkins has missed the entire preseason with a badly strained knee, I believe Hopkins will be the Titans' No. 1 WR in the end. Yes, he might be rusty at the start because of not getting a lot of reps in practice, and he is 32 years old.  Hopkins does, however, have a few advantages over the talented Mr. Ridley.

Hopkins has a season playing with Levis under his belt, and the pair had undeniable chemistry. After failing to score a TD in the first six games of the 2023 season that Ryan Tannehill started at QB, Hopkins was able to regain his fantasy form with Levis at the helm, hauling in seven touchdown tosses over the final 11 games of the season. Ridley will need to catch up in the chemistry department with Levis.

Hopkins also has the better track record of the two receivers. He has six 1,000-yard seasons to his credit. Ridley has two. Ridley’s career-high in receptions for a season is 90. Hopkins has had four 100-catch years during his storied career. Hopkins might not be in his prime anymore, but Ridley is probably not the same receiver who racked up 1,374 receiving yards in 2020, either.

VINTAGE DEANDRE HOPKINS

THREE TDS TODAY
pic.twitter.com/9Fz7Qk9tQ1

— PFF (@PFF) October 29, 2023

Ridley was allowed to be the WR1 with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. While his 76-1,016-8 line was solid and earned him almost 100 million dollars from the Titans, many fantasy managers thought he was slightly disappointing considering the situation he was in. Jacksonville was not impressed enough to top Tennessee’s offseason offer, too.

Ridley is the WR32 and Hopkins is the WR41 currently on average, but I’d personally switch those rankings. I can see Hopkins with an 80-1,100-8 line and Ridley with a 74-975-6 line at season’s end. Maybe I am wrong, and maybe those who slot Ridley higher are right, but only time and 17 Titans games will tell this year.

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