The Tennessee Titans could be without their two best receivers in Week 4 against the New York Jets, as the statuses of A.J. Brown and Julio Jones are up in the air.
Brown is reportedly dealing with a strained hamstring that has him week-to-week, while Jones is reportedly dealing with an unspecified leg injury that leaves his status for Sunday in doubt.
If one or both of these stud wideouts can’t play — more likely than not the Titans will err on the side of caution in a winnable matchup against the Jets — 2020 undrafted free agent wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is the best bet of the remaining Tennessee wideouts to insert into your lineup.
With Brown leaving after just eight snaps and Jones’ day being cut short after 34 in Week 3, Westbrook-Ikhine paced all Titans receivers in snaps (53), receptions (four) and receiving yards (53), and scored a touchdown.
The only blemish was that Westbrook-Ikhine lost a fumble at the five-yard line. Another concern is that he has struggled with drops in the past.
Regardless, he’s the best option of the bunch based on what we saw last week and should be the play if you’re looking for another Titans wideout to replace Jones or Brown, or are in need of a flex. He’s also someone to target in daily fantasy thanks to his cheap price tag.
Other receivers such as Chester Rogers and Josh Reynolds should also factor in, and there’s an outside chance wideout Marcus Johnson plays, as he’s eligible to come off IR this week, but chances are he’ll be eased back in.
If we had to rank the four, it would go like this:
- Westbrook-Ikhine
- Rogers
- Reynolds
- Johnson
Another situation to keep an eye on with the Titans comes at tight end, where Anthony Firkser, who is arguably the team’s best pass-catcher outside of Jones and Brown, could make his return after sitting out the last two weeks.
If Firkser returns to practice and suits up, we’d put him ahead of Rogers in the pass-catcher pecking order, partly thanks to his already strong connection with quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Firkser has TE1 potential if he plays.