Nick

Westbrook-Ikhine

Given that it’s Week 16, this will obviously end Westbrook-Ikhine’s 2023 season. In 14 games this season, he caught 28 passes for 370 yards with three touchdowns. With Westbrook-Ikhine sidelined, it will mean more opportunities for Chris Moore and Kyle Phillips. To take Westbrook-Ikhine’s spot on the roster, the Titans signed linebacker Garret Wallow off of Houston’s practice squad.

NWI nearly came down with a bobbling catch for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the ball briefly hit the turf as he went to the ground, causing the refs to nix the score. He did, however, reel in a two-point conversion a few plays later. The extra point was ultimately the difference between a regulation win and overtime for Tennessee. NWI isn’t on the fantasy radar for Week 15 despite the two-point grab versus Miami.

Westbrook-Ikhine’s fourth quarter score was his lone catch on two targets. A scrambling Will Levis hit NWI for a down-field dot in the end zone. Levis appeared to have far, far more juice than Ryan Tannehill this afternoon, but that included him locking onto DeAndre Hopkins for 4/128/3. NWI will probably remain relegated to battling Treylon Burks for targets behind No. 1 Nuk.

NWI finished second on the Titans in yards and first in receptions, though that is only a statement on how dysfunctional the offense was versus Baltimore. Chris Moore suffered a brutal concussion in this game, putting his status for the Titans’ post-bye matchup with the Falcons in Week 8 in doubt. Even with an uptick in routes, NWI won’t be on the fantasy radar.

Earlier in the week head coach Mike Vrabel had said “We’ll see” when asked about Burks playing against the Ravens on Sunday. So far, that possibility continues to look pretty unlikely. Burks has been sidelined since Week 3 with DeAndre Hopkins dominating the passing offense in his stead. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine would also retain deep league value if Burks were to miss another game.

Westbrook-Ikhine took a backseat to DeAndre Hopkins among the Titans’ wide receivers against the Colts. He saw an end zone target that was nearly a great play for a touchdown, but the ball fell incomplete. With Treylon Burks out, Westbrook-Ikhine is the team’s No. 2 receiver, but he is a streamer only for Week 6 against the Ravens.

The touchdown came on a well-designed cross route, where Westbrook-Ikhine was able to shed one tackle and beat the other defenders to the pylon. With Treylon Burks out, he was Ryan Tannehill’s preferred option running short over the middle and he continues to prove that he’s a solid real-life member of a wide receiver room. His fantasy upside will be limited by the presence of Burks and Tennessee’s run-heavy focus.

Westbrook-Ikhine operated as the Titans’ number two receiver for all intents and purposes. Most of his damage came when Tennessee was trying to get back into the game in the fourth quarter, but he saw seven targets which as four more than Treylon Burks. To his credit, he made defenders miss and earned hard yards after the catch, and it’s clear that he will remain on the field often early in the season. He could be in store for a sneaky game next week against the Chargers if the Titans are forced to pass to keep up with Justin Herbert and company.

Westbrook-Ikhine has been a steady presence for the Titans over the past few years, but has almost no fantasy value even when he has a clear path to snaps. He had a 5/119/2 game against the Broncos in Week 10 -- most of the value was generated off a flea flicker -- and that was his only game all season with more than 58 receiving yards. He’s a useful NFL role player.

Westbrook-Ikhine finishes his third NFL season with just 25 catches for 397 yards and three touchdowns, providing only one useful fantasy game on a two-touchdown outburst that came seemingly from nowhere. The de facto WR2 felt more like a placeholder in the run-first Tennessee offense, primarily of use for his run-blocking acumen this season. Westbrook-Ikhine is a restricted free agent this offseason, with all signs pointing to a changing of the guard of sort between he and rookie wide receiver Treylon Burks in Tennessee.