Calvin

Ridley

Ridley saw just five targets for the second straight week with Mason Rudolph starting. One of those was a 38-yard toss that Ridley caught on a deep route for a touchdown. He is the team’s primary receiver, but Rudolph has been targeting receivers in shallow areas often, pumping up tight end receiving numbers. Ridley’s fantasy value is reliant on occasional touchdowns and big plays. He is in the WR3 range for Week 17 against the Jaguars.

Ridley also added one carry for 19 yards. He fell to No. 3 on the Titans in targets between Will Levis and Mason Rudolph throwing passes. Ridley got to 60 total scoreless yards against the Bengals amidst the tumultuous Titans quarterback situation. Regardless of who the quarterback is next week, Ridley is the team’s WR1, though that puts him in just the WR3 mix for Week 16 against the Colts.

Outside of a 30-yard reception in the late fourth quarter, Ridley was the recipient of several short-yardage targets from Will Levis against the Jaguars. He is still the clear top pass-catcher in the Titans offense, but that did not translate to much in a low-scoring affair. Ridley and Levis failed to connect on red zone drives and though he is seeing elite usage with 19 targets over his last two games, the production is yet to come. Ridley is a high-end WR3 for Week 15 against a weak Bengals defense.

Ridley was missed at least twice by Will Levis for what would have been a big gain, but he and Levis didn’t appear on the same page for most of the day. After a slow start to the season in which he caught just 12 passes in his first six games, things have picked up for Ridley in the second half of the season. In his last six games he’s posted a line of 31-496-2. He’s a WR2/WR3 in fantasy for Week 14 when the Titans take on the Jaguars.

Ridley rested on Wednesday before practicing in full on Thursday and Friday. The Titans’ No. 1 WR has efficiently averaged 2.59 yards per route run and a 24.7 percent target rate since DeAndre Hopkins became a Chief. Fantasy managers can count on Ridley as a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside in a potential Week 13 shootout.

Ridley did talk to reporters at his locker on Wednesday and Brian Callahan did say some guys would get “a rest” on Wednesday, so it’s possible that this is just maintenance. Thursday’s report will tell if the DNP was a trend or a blip. We’d tentatively expect Ridley to play.

Ridley torched Jimmie Ward for a 63-yard long ball on a deep crosser, but otherwise was mostly a steady underneath target for the rest of the game. Since Will Levis returned in Week 10, Ridley has averaged 78.3 yards per game on seven targets a game with two touchdowns. He’ll be a reliable WR3, maybe a low-end WR2, in most ranks heading into Week 13 against the Commanders.

We do not yet know Ridley’s official practice participation but his Thursday return effectively guarantees he suits up in Week 12. Illnesses rarely sideline players on game day. He is a high-end WR2 against the Texans in what could be a pass-heavy game script.

Players rarely miss games with the illness designation, so this is likely to be a non-story by the end of the week. Ridley should be back at practice at some point this week. He is coming off a quiet Week 11 with four grabs for 58 yards but has generally been a strong WR2 option since DeAndre Hopkins was traded. Assuming things go as expected with the illness, Ridley remains in the WR2 ranks for Week 12 versus Houston.

Ridley also had a 40-plus yard catch called back due to an illegal shift penalty on the Titans. He was actually targeted on a couple of plays that got called back due to penalties, so the box score does not fully reflect his overall involvement in this offense and rapport with Levis. He figures to be the focal point of the offense again next week against the Texans is a high-upside WR3 in fantasy.