With Ryan Tannehill sidelined and Malik Willis looking incompetent, the Titans gave Will Levis the nod against a tough Falcons secondary that allowed the eighth-fewest passing yards in the league. He proceeded to light them up for 238 yards and four touchdowns—which was good for 26.6 fantasy points.
Not too shabby for an NFL debut.
As a result, Mike Vrabel named Levis the Week 9 starter against the Steelers on Thursday Night Football, which begs the question of whether or not fantasy football managers should start Levis this week.
With the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, and Jared Goff off this week, fantasy teams are shuffling through the Week 9 waiver wire for some streaming options. Look no further than the Titans’ rookie to stream this week, or at least stash for the future.
WEEK 9 FANTASY OUTLOOK
With the rookie shine wearing off and a game’s worth of film out there, things are not necessarily in Levis’ favor on a short week in hostile Pittsburgh. However, Levis, who played some ball at Penn State, said he had this game circled from the start.
“Playing or not, I’ve had this game circled on my schedule because of how great the environment is going to be,” Levis told reporters. “I know their fans are going to come out and it’s going to be a nice environment. So, we are ready to handle it. I’m looking forward to taking it all in and then just doing my thing.”
On the other hand, there should be plenty of optimism for the rookie, who did his best to unlock DeAndre Hopkins on Sunday—the two connected four times on six targets for 128 yards and three touchdowns. With Levis targeting him downfield, it could revitalize the vet and open up this offense.
In Week 8, Levis spread the ball out to four different receivers four-plus times, including tight end Chig Okonkwo, who saw six targets himself. Not only did the Titans open up the playbook and let him chuck 29 times, but they utilized his elite arm talent, as seen in his passing chart below.
He’ll have to continue to feed Hopkins and spread the ball to his playmakers against the Steelers, who have a secondary that’s allowed 245.4 passing yards per game (24th) and the 19th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Although Levis only ran for 11 yards on seven carries last week, he can gain fantasy points with his feet—especially in the red zone. As a two-year full-time starter at Kentucky, Levis rushed for 11 touchdowns in 24 games played — highlighted by a nine-touchdown healthy campaign as a junior.
If you’re looking for a long-shot bet tonight, a Levis any-time touchdown (rushing or receiving) is between +700 and +750 on various sportsbooks, which could be parlayed with his over 10.5 rushing yards.
To get back on topic, if you need a desperate QB streamer, yes, Will Levis should be starting in your Week 9 fantasy lineup tonight. If you’re fine at the quarterback spot, stash him off the waiver wire, and if he sucks, then drop him after the game, as most default settings allow.
Either way, Levis should be rostered for tonight’s matchup.
Levis checks in at QB14, just outside QB1 territory, on The Wolf’s Fantasy Week 9 Rankings.
Have any Will Levis or Fantasy Week 9 sit/start questions? Tune into the Roto Street Journal YouTube Channel at 6:45 PM EST on Thursday and 10:45 AM EST on Sunday to get those answered.
REST OF SEASON FANTASY OUTLOOK
What is Levis’ true fantasy ceiling? Was Week 8 the best that fantasy owners should expect out of the rookie this season?
Levis’ big arm and talent for throwing the deep ball made him a must-pick-up off the Week 9 Waiver Wire after three of his four touchdowns went for 30+ yards, the most all-time in an NFL debut.
What was most impressive is he seemed to avoid some of the errors that plagued him while at Kentucky. He displayed command of the offense and surveyed the field quickly and effectively.
Still, this type of performance should not be expected every week. According to Pro Football Reference, Levis and the Titans’ passing attack scored 5.01 points above expectation.
In the game, the Titans ran the ball 36 times to 29 pass attempts. In fact, the Titans rank 32nd in total pass attempts, averaging around 24 per game. Part of that is due to the injuries that have plagued Treylon Burks and, of course, the inept play of Tannehill.
What’s most promising is, despite leading, the Titans didn’t pull back the reigns on Levis. They let him cook while Derrick Henry softened the defense to set up deep shots.
With the league averaging 34.1 pass attempts per game, Levis would continue to need to press the ball downfield and do more with his legs to return more than streamer value as long as he’s on the field.
Although he’s starting this week, his status as the starter going forward is not yet cemented.
Levis checks in at QB18 (+11 vs ECR!) on The Wolf’s Rest of Season Rankings.
Have any Will Levis or Fantasy Week 9 sit/start questions? Tune into the Roto Street Journal YouTube Channel at 6:45 PM EST on Thursday and 10:45 AM EST on Sunday to get those answered.
