DeAndre Hopkins Traded To Chiefs: Fantasy Football Takeaways (2024)

More WRs are on the move to AFC Contenders. Just over a week after the New York Jets acquired WR Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders and the Buffalo Bills traded for Amari Cooper away from the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City lands a veteran receiver of their own with former Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins.

Patrick Mahomes gets a WR and might start scoring fantasy points (can’t get worse). Hopkins escapes Will Levis. Let’s break it down further. Here are the fantasy football takeaways from the trade that sent DeAndre Hopkins from the Titans to the Chiefs.

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Fantasy Football Impact of DeAndre Hopkins Trade to Chiefs

The Titans are finalizing a deal to send WR DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs in exchange for a 5th-round pick that can become a 4th-round pick, per NFL’s Ian Rapport.

Kansas City needed to make a move before the trade deadline for another WR given the recent hamstring injury to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Considering the team just traded for Hopkins, I think it’s safe to move on from Smith-Schuster.

It remains to be seen whether the 32-year-old Hopkins will be an every-down player for Kansas City, but stay assured when he’s on the field he will command targets and move the chains. We should see Hopkins take on the primary possession underneath role that has been great in the Chiefs’ offense for Rashee Rice/Smith-Schuster. In every game this season at least one Chiefs WR has finished as a top-18 weekly option (all six games in half-point scoring).

Since Week 3, Hopkins led the Titans in receiving yards (158) and touchdowns (1) despite two fewer targets (18 vs 20) and 32 fewer routes run than Calvin Ridley.

From Weeks 3-6, Hopkins posted a 34% target rate per route run. When the Titans were using him and not limiting him, he was productive. #Notwashed.

I think early on Hopkins can be a useable fantasy WR3, but rise to potential top-20 status attached to Mahomes. The schedule is great for Chiefs WRs. Per the FantasyPros SOS tool, the Chiefs have the second-ranked schedule for WRs rest of the season.

Therefore, don’t bury Xavier Worthy with the Hopkins move. I don’t see Hopkins’ addition impacting Worthy’s role as the explosive big-play threat.

Last week, Worthy was targeted a team-high eight times but only managed three catches for 19 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per reception Mahomes missed him deep early in the second half, and he fell out of an intercepted route. Worthy caught his only red zone target but didn’t score. Worthy ran a route on 72% of dropbacks – tied for the team lead with Justin Watson.

The rookie totaled 134 air yards, 62% air yards share, 32% Target share, and 35% target rate per route run. Buy LOW. Even with the acquisition of e Hopkins, I don’t think that alters Worthy’s role in the offense. If anything, both players are BUYs.

The only player this might hurt is Travis Kelce. Less underneath volume and more competition for red-zone targets with Hopkins added.

DeAndre Hopkins Trade Impact: Titans

As for the Titans (eye roll), we should expect targets to concentrate more on Ridley. Although because Hopkins was only a part-time player, Ridley’s share of the pie won’t be altered too dramatically.

Last week Ridley was heavily targeted but struggled with efficiency, catching just three of nine targets for 42 yards. He did have a 33-yard reception but finished with only 25 yards after the catch with 131 air yards, 56% air yards share, and 24% Target share.

It was just another awful game from Ridley. He doesn’t ever appear to be on the same page with his quarterbacks, and he continues to drop balls. His “gain” of 33 yards came on the final play of the second half, which turned into laterals and a loss of yardage for Hopkins. Woof.

The actual “winner” of the Hopkins trade is Tyler Boyd. In Week 7, Boyd caught all five of his targets for 43 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per reception, with a long of 12 yards. Boyd caught both of his two red zone targets. His most productive game as a Titan came with Mason Rudolph as the quarterback.

The playoff schedule is great for these Titans WRs. Per the FantasyPros SOS tool, the Titans have the fourth-ranked schedule for WRs for the rest of the season.

Ridley will continue to be the team’s target leader, but it’s going to be boom-or-bust with the current quarterback situation.

If you are in a WR pinch (who isn’t) Boyd is an interesting target ahead of Week 8. No team has allowed more fantasy points to slot WRs than the Lions this season.