The Tennessee Titans’ receiving hierarchy has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past few weeks as Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor navigate shifting roles. Both rookie receivers enter Week 9 with questions surrounding their respective values following wildly different recent production trends. Can fantasy football managers trust either Titans receiver this week?
Chimere Dike Fantasy Outlook
What began as a special teams role has evolved into featured receiving work for Dike in recent weeks. Two weeks ago against the Indianapolis Colts, the rookie caught four passes for 70 yards and a touchdown in his breakout performance.
That production earned expanded opportunities the following week. Dike delivered again, catching seven of eight targets for 93 yards while playing 88% of the snaps. The Florida product appears to have overtaken the WR1 role and established himself as Cam Ward’s preferred target in the passing game.
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Dike operates primarily from the slot position, working closer to the line of scrimmage than his rookie counterpart. The 23-year-old has posted elite 4.34 speed with the ability to win downfield and create yards after the catch. Over his last two games, Dike has compiled an 11-163-1 receiving line while cementing his status as Tennessee’s top option.
The departure of Tyler Lockett via trade opened the door for Dike’s ascension. Lockett deployed 82.6% of his snaps from the slot, and Dike has seamlessly filled that void. Tennessee’s offensive coordinator Nick Holz has praised Dike’s development, stating he’s “going to be a really good player in this league”.
Elic Aymonanor Fantasy Outlook
After opening the season as a starter, Ayomanor has seen his production steadily decline despite maintaining strong usage metrics. Week 1 proved rough for the rookie, but he rebounded with 15.6 and 13.8 fantasy points in Weeks 2 and 3. Since that early-season success, Ayomanor has failed to reach double-digit fantasy points.
The Stanford product maintains approximately 90% snap share and continues running extensive routes in Tennessee’s offensive system. Ayomanor posted an 86% route share last week, actually leading Dike in that category. However, the volume has not translated into meaningful production for fantasy purposes.
Ayomanor operates more downfield compared to Dike’s underneath work. The rookie’s role as a vertical threat creates a boom-or-bust profile that depends heavily on connecting on deep shots or finding the end zone. Over his last five games, Ayomanor has posted modest lines of 2-44, 2-18, 3-27, 2-29, and 4-52.
With Calvin Ridley out due to a hamstring injury, opportunities theoretically exist for Ayomanor to reclaim his early-season form. However, Dike’s emergence as Ward’s clear favorite makes it difficult for the fourth-round pick to secure consistent target volume moving forward.
Should You Start Dike or Ayomanor This Week?
Los Angeles presents a difficult matchup for both Tennessee receivers. The Chargers allow the fifth-fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to wide receivers, creating challenging conditions for the entire position group. Los Angeles has been particularly effective limiting production from perimeter receivers compared to slot options.
Negative game script looms large for Tennessee in this matchup. The Titans enter as 10-point home underdogs against a Chargers team that should control this contest throughout. Tennessee is 0-3 at home this season and has been outscored by 120 points overall, making competitive game flow highly unlikely.
The projected game script actually benefits Dike more than Ayomanor given their contrasting roles. When the Chargers build a lead in the second half, they will likely play relaxed coverage and allow short completions underneath. Dike’s work closer to the line of scrimmage aligns perfectly with this defensive approach, creating opportunities for volume in garbage time situations.
Ayomanor will need a splash play or touchdown to return fantasy value against Los Angeles’ stout secondary. The deep-ball specialist faces longer odds of producing meaningful numbers given his declining role and the unfavorable defensive matchup. Dike emerges as startable in WR3 or Flex roles while Ayomanor should be left on fantasy benches for Week 9.