Robert Woods Traded To Titans: Fantasy Football Takeaways & Implications (2022)

The landscape around the NFL is changing rapidly with every passing day of free agency. Just a couple of days ago, the Los Angeles Rams signed wide receiver Allen Robinson to a three-year contract. Today, those same Rams shipped wide receiver Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round pick. And the Titans were in the market for a No. 2 wide receiver after releasing Julio Jones recently.

What does Woods’s trade mean for the veteran wide receiver, quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and the other weapons in Tennessee? Pat Fitzmaurice is here to break down the fantasy football implications of the deal.

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In a week of seismic player moves in the NFL, the trade that sent Robert Woods to the Titans in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 generated only minor tremors.

After the Rams signed Allen Robinson earlier in the week, it seemed fait accompli that the team would unload Woods. With Robinson tabbed as Cooper Kupp‘s new running mate and Van Jefferson a competent No. 3 or No. 4 (plus the possibility of Odell Beckham Jr. re-signing), Woods became expendable. The Titans needed a credible No. 2 receiver to complement A.J. Brown, and Woods fit the bill.

From 2018 to 2020, Woods finished WR10, WR17 and WR13 in 0.5 PPR fantasy scoring. In 2021, he was WR11 through the first nine weeks, but a Week 9 ACL tear ended his season.

It seems unlikely that Woods will continue to provide low-end WR1 or WR2 value. He turns 30 in April and is coming off a major knee injury. But his new situation is the greater concern.

The Rams were 10th in passing attempts last year with 607. They’ve been no worse than 14th in pass attempts in any of the last four seasons. The Titans were 26th in pass attempts last year with 535. They were 30th in 2020, 31st in 2019. The Rams threw on 59% of their offensive snaps last season. The Titans threw on only 51% of theirs.

So Woods finds himself on a run-heavy team that already has a clear alpha receiver. Brown has typically commanded a target share of about 26% when he’s been healthy. It’s possible Woods could claim a target share of around 20% and finish with 100-110 targets. From 2018 to 2020 with the Rams he ranged from 129 to 139 targets. Low-end WR2 value is probably the upside here – and that assumes no performance drop-off for Woods and no further WR additions for the Titans.

I’ll probably have Woods ranked around WR30 in redraft.

The addition of Woods shouldn’t have any significant impact on Brown. His status as Tennessee’s alpha receiver is secure. Titans WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine becomes undraftable in all but the deepest of leagues. And I don’t think the Woods addition moves the needle on QB Ryan Tannehill’s value.
– Pat Fitzmaurice