Fantasy Fans Shouldn't Expect Much From DeAndre Hopkins in Kansas City

Michael Fabiano | Oct 23, 2024

Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) goes through warmups before their game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Another day, another trade involving a wide receiver!

First, Davante Adams was traded to the New York Jets. Next, the Buffalo Bills went out and acquired Amari Cooper. Now, the Kansas City Chiefs have improved their wide receiver core with the addition of DeAndre Hopkins in a deal with the Tennessee Titans.

The move makes sense, as the Chiefs have lost Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown this season due to injuries, and JuJu Smith-Schuster is dealing with a hamstring issue. But don’t think this will re-ignite Hopkins into the fantasy star he was earlier in his career.

Hopkins, 32, simply isn’t the same superstar he was during his time in Houston and Arizona. Based on NextGen Stats data, his Receiving Expected Points Added is -4.9. That’s one of the worst in the league among offensive players. His Average Target Separation is 3.2, and he’s 60th in Yards After Contact Over Expected. He’s also 55th in Catch Rate Over Expected.

I can continue to split out all kinds of advanced stats, but you get the points.

On a positive note, the move does improve Hopkins’ value moving forward. He had been on the verge of being dropped in a lot of leagues, averaging just 6.4 points per game. Part of that has to do with playing in a terrible Titans pass attack that is dead last in the league in passing yards per game (145.8). The Chiefs are 12th, at 221.5 passing yards per contest.

So, if Hopkins was dropped in your league, go ahead and grab him. And if you have Nuk on your roster, you might have received an early Christmas gift. Again, don’t expect “prime of his career” Hopkins, because that will be difficult to achieve at his age. But an increase in his value is likely, maybe to the point where he could bring back WR2/flex numbers.

Hopkins’ presence should also help Mahomes, but again, temper your expectations. He’s become a middling fantasy quarterback, and he won’t suddenly re-emerge into a star.

In Tennessee, the move could mean more targets for Calvin Ridley. He’s been so bad this season that I’ve seen him get dropped in some leagues. I’d hold on to him to see what happens once Hopkins is out of the offense, but I wouldn’t rush to start him … not yet.