Tennessee Titans WR Kyle Philips’ sophomore NFL campaign began to pick up some steam once rookie signal-caller Will Levis became the starting quarterback in Week 8.
With what are now three consecutive relatively encouraging performances under his belt, should Philips be a name fantasy football managers consider when scanning the waiver wire ahead of Week 11?
Should Kyle Philips Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 11?
Philips was selected as a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the typically run-centric Titans, but for a number of reasons, a promising Week 1 pro debut where he posted a 6-66 line on nine targets was ultimately just a mirage.
Philips was besieged by both shoulder and hamstring injuries over the course of the 2022 campaign, and the latter wiped out his season from Week 7 on. He came into the 2023 season with hopes of securing a slot receiver role behind starters DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks, but an MCL injury in Tennessee’s second preseason game eventually led to a season-opening four-game injured reserve stint for Philips.
While he was able to spend just the minimum time required on IR, Philips was virtually ignored by then-starter Ryan Tannehill during Weeks 5 and 6 upon his return. The second-year wideout drew just three targets on 27 routes in that span, leading to one reception for six yards.
However, Levis’ insertion into the starting role in a Week 8 win over the Falcons may prove to be the turning point of Philips’ season. Since that contest, the UCLA product has recorded 10 receptions for 153 yards while drawing 13 targets.
Those numbers don’t necessarily jump off the fantasy screen, but they’re not worthy of dismissing either, especially in Tennessee’s offense. Moreover, Philips has actually paced the Titans in receiving yards in two straight games heading into Week 11 courtesy of his 68- and 61-yard tallies against the Steelers and Buccaneers, respectively.
Burks has been saddled with injuries throughout the season and is currently trying to overcome a concussion he suffered in Week 9 that already cost him one game.
Philips’ fellow reserve receivers Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Chris Moore haven’t done much in tandem with Levis yet, with neither reaching the 30-yard mark in the last two games.
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And tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo hasn’t been able to replicate some of his downfield success from a year ago with any of the three quarterbacks that have taken snaps for the Titans this season, either.
It all adds up to a potential consistent stream of opportunities for Philips the rest of the way as long as he manages to avoid the injury bug. It’s worth noting Philips did bring a solid track record as a possession receiver with a nose for the end zone from his Bruins days, posting a 157-1,790-17 line across the 29 games over his final three college seasons.
With Levis likely to latch on to reliable targets he develops early chemistry with as he traverses what’s left of his rookie season — and the rest of the Titans’ pass-catching corps beyond Hopkins difficult to trust from a health or production standpoint — Philips has a chance to continue carving out a meaningful role.
Levis’ inevitable inexperience-based inconsistencies and head coach Mike Vrabel’s propensity for riding Derrick Henry as much as possible does put somewhat of a cap on Philips’ fantasy outlook. Still, he remains a very worthwhile waiver wire consideration, especially in full-PPR formats.
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