Tyler Boyd Fantasy 2024
It looks like the Tennesee Titans are gearing up for war this season. After a slew of offseason moves that would make Jerry Jones jealous, the Titans look like they have their offense ready to go for Will Levis in his second year. The Titans already have DeAndre Hopkins on the roster and signed free-agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million deal. Now, the Titans have added another wide receiver to the mix: former Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd. Per NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler, Boyd and the Titans have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million. Boyd should slot in as Will Levis’s slot wide receiver in three-man formations, and he should be a reliable option in that area of the field. Boyd was useful during his time with the Bengals for Joe Burrow, catching underneath passes and moving the chains in the shorter parts of the field.
Boyd’s fantasy value is something that fantasy managers may want to consider. Boyd was the third wide receiver option with the Bengals, playing behind talents like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in recent seasons. That doesn’t mean Boyd doesn’t have what it takes to step into a bigger role in case someone goes down in front of him on the depth chart. Tyler Boyd possesses solid hands and has two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt before the drafting of Ja’Marr Chase in 2021. From 2018-2020, Boyd saw triple-digit targets in back-to-back seasons. He saw 108, 148, and 110 targets during those respective seasons. Over that time, Boyd collected a 66.7% catch rate, over 2,900 yards, 16 touchdowns, and an 11.9 yards per reception rate.
But let’s not stray too far away from the main thing.
Tyler Boyd’s Fantasy Impact in 2024
While Tyler Boyd is still a good wide receiver for the role he’ll have to fill for the Titans this season, his fantasy value is not the greatest even after landing with the team. One big question you have to ask before you even consider drafting Tyler Boyd is “How many pass attempts are there for Boyd to be a viable option?”. By all accounts, the offensive changes at head coach with the Titans bringing in former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan says that the Titans will pass the ball more in 2024. Despite losing Joe Burrow for most of the season last year, the Bengals still finished seventh in pass attempts in 2023. Conversely, the Titans passing attack was nothing short of a disaster. The Titans finished 31st in pass attempts with just 494. Granted, it was Will Levis’s first crack at the role with Ryan Tannehill going down with injuries and the wide receiver weapons stinking out loud. The addition of Calvin Ridley this offseason, pairing with DeAndre Hopkins, signals they’ll be throwing the ball all over the place. But where does that leave Boyd?
Both wide receivers are target hogs. Calvin Ridley led the Jacksonville Jaguars in targets in just his first season with the team, seeing 136 targets from Trevor Lawrence. DeAndre Hopkins has been a target monster for the last few seasons. Hopkins saw 137 targets with the Titans last season and outside of 2021 and 2022 where he missed time because of injuries, Hopkins was averaging nearly 160 targets a season over his last three healthy years. Will Levis have to pump up the passing numbers in order to support both Ridley and Hopkins as his top two options? Last season with the Bengals, Boyd saw 98 targets and finished second in targets right behind Ja’Marr Chase. Tee Higgins missed time last season which prompted his target increase. When Chase and Higgins were healthy in 2022, Boyd finished third in targets with just 82. Boyd could be in a similar situation in Tennessee two target hogs on the team ahead of him. And considering what the Titans already invested in both Hopkins and Ridley, it looks like that’s more likely to be the scenario going forward.
FantasyData’s PPR average draft position has Tyler Boyd currently at WR86. Boyd will be a wide receiver you can grab later on in the draft. If that’s the move you want to make. Boyd will likely be a fantasy player that you can either target super late in your fantasy drafts or off the waiver wire should an injury happen to Calvin Ridley or DeAndre Hopkins. Boyd’s fantasy stock takes a hit due to having monsters in front of him this season, and Boyd’s stability in fantasy lineups should be strongly tempered. Boyd hasn’t averaged above 12 FPPG over the last three seasons in PPR formats so forcing him into your lineups as a WR3/flex option is something you might want to avoid altogether. Boyd turns 30 this year and one-year deal, this may be a season where you want to avoid drafting Tyler Boyd.
