DeAndre Hopkins is one of the best wide receivers of all time. We are excited to see him within this new Tennessee Titans offense under Brian Callahan, but the issue is this aging veteran is dealing with an injury sustained during the offseason, which makes us question if Hopkins is playing in Week 1.
Update: Hopkins is active for Week 1
Will DeAndre Hopkins Be Active in Week 1?
Hopkins suffered a knee injury that has made him miss most of his training camp. According to the Titans’ official site, Hopkins will be a game-time decision. The offense has retooled around its young second-year quarterback, Will Levis. They added Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard; adding these players will help lighten the load for the veteran Hopkins but it does significantly hamper the Titans playbook if he can not suit up on Sunday.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Hopkins is set to play on Sunday, but his playing time remains uncertain.
#Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins (questionable, knee) is set to play Sunday at Chicago, per source, though how much he plays is uncertain and could come down to pain management.
Hopkins revealed to reporters this week that he’s fighting through an MCL tear.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 7, 2024
The Titans peppered Hopkins with targets last season, as he recorded 137. TruMedia shows us that he received the 14th-highest total of targets last year. The Titans organization and Levis both trust the aging superstar. Hopkins provides a down-the-field threat to tie to Levis’ cannon arm; last year, he averaged 14.1 yards per reception (25th overall).
Hopkins’ issue is not just his knee but also his conditioning levels. He missed the majority of training camp and could use a ramp-up period to return to NFL form, which hampers his fantasy outlook for Week 1.
Potential Fantasy Options if Hopkins Is Out
If Hopkins misses the game, we will turn to Treylon Burks to replace him on his routes for Week 1. Burks has had a rough NFL career so far; however, his 6’2″ and 225-pound frame still gives fans hope that he can turn into a butterfly for the offense this year. His size-speed combination makes him a deadly down-the-field threat against any defense.
Burks’ favorite trait is using his powerful lower half to shred tacklers off his frame and continue the play. The problem is, with his role being primarily slot receiver in college, he has a lack of reps trying to move to the outside to replace Hopkins if he were to miss time. This inconsistency makes Burks a high-risk, high-reward style of play in Week 1, which is why he is lower on our rankings.
Tyler Boyd is another player on our rankings who could become a fantasy asset this week. The veteran presence will become a slot weapon for Levis this season. Just like his days in Cincinnati, Boyd also becomes the option to aim for when one of his two stud wide receivers ahead of him on the depth chart misses time. Boyd brings a safer floor but a lower ceiling with his fantasy outlook.
If you need to replace Hopkins, we recommend looking for a replacement outside the Titans organization. The Chicago Bears’ passing defense is no slouch, and especially if they draw Jaylen Johnson as their matchup, whoever replaces Hopkins could be in for a long day in Week 1.
Kyle Soppe’s Fantasy Outlook for Hopkins in Week 1
At the beginning of August, we feared that a knee injury would result in missed time to start the season, but he should be on the field, and if history holds, he might just post Flex-worthy numbers.
Hopkins has cleared 15 PPR points in eight of nine Week 1’s during his career (22.4 PPG), and while the exception did come last season (13.5 points), his 36.1% target share in that contest suggests that it wasn’t for a lack of trying (21.8 expected points). It wasn’t Week 1 last season, but it was Levis’ Week 1 in which Hopkins turned six targets into 34.8 fantasy points.
For the record, I have him ranked outside of my top 35 at the position. The missed time this preseason is concerning, and I just can’t wrap my head around playing a Levis target at less than full strength with the entire league at my disposal. If you squint, you could get there, and maybe there’s a DFS build worth exploring with him as the bring-back on a Chicago stack – it’s just not for me in redraft.