Calvin Ridley, Will Levis' Updated Fantasy Outlook After WR's $92M Contract in NFL FA

The Tennessee Titans have signed former Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million guaranteed.

The move is a huge boost to a Titans offense that badly needed a spark in the passing game after finishing with the fourth-fewest passing yards in the NFL last season.

From a fantasy football perspective, it's worth going over how this move affects both Ridley and Titans quarterback Will Levis, who will enter the 2024 season as QB1 after taking over as the starter midway through his rookie season.

Last year, Ridley caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. He was part of a three-headed monster that led the pass-catching attack in himself, tight end Evan Engram and wideout Christian Kirk, who sat the final five games of the season with a groin injury.

Ridley saw eight targets per game despite healthy competition from Engram, Kirk and running back Travis Etienne. In Tennessee, the only target hog he'll have to worry about is Hopkins. Given the team's investment in Ridley, it's clear that the team's run-first identity from years past with Derrick Henry (now a Baltimore Raven) could be going by the wayside.

On the flip side, Ridley's old quarterback (Trevor Lawrence) is a better talent than the Titans' current signal-caller. But Levis revealed flashes of his high potential in a few spots last season and could certainly show more of that in 2024.

Ultimately, Ridley finished squarely in the WR2 mix (18th overall in PPR leagues) last year. The guess here is that he finishes at or slightly above that ranking in 2024 and remains a solid WR2.

Last season, Levis completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 1,808 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He threw for 200.9 yards per game over nine contests.

A large chunk of that production came over two games, though. Levis' first start was a four-touchdown, 238-yard outing against the Atlanta Falcons. He also threw for a career-high 327 yards versus the Miami Dolphins. Outside of those contests, Levis posted a handful of mediocre or subpar statlines for a Titans team that struggled to score.

But adding Ridley, frankly, only helps Levis. The Titans didn't have a reliable No. 2 wideout behind star DeAndre Hopkins. Now the team has two bona fide No. 1 pass-catchers in Hopkins and Ridley, and that should help Levis excel.

Levis' lack of rushing upside (57 yards for the season) hurts his fantasy ceiling, but he's a legit starting option in superflex or two-quarterback leagues with Ridley aboard.

It also helps that he's working under Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator (and now Titans head coach) Brian Callahan, who helped oversee a high-flying and successful offense under quarterback Joe Burrow.

While Burrow is one of the more talented throwers in the game, Levis can still benefit from Callahan's presence and experience.