Who Should I Start? Bryce Oliver or Xavier Restrepo

Monday, August 26, 12:07 PM

Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Bryce Oliver hauled in three passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns in the last preseason win over New Orleans. It was a mini breakout for the undrafted pass-catcher out of Youngstown State, who was having a quiet game until quarterback Malik Willis started looking his way in the fourth quarter, which led to two scores, along with the game-winner with 1:25 remaining. Oliver was not expected to compete for an active roster spot, but this performance definitely gives general manager Ran Carthon something to think about. Even so, with Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, Tyler Boyd, Kyle Philips, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine having locked up roster spots at WR, it's tough to see a situation in which Oliver ends up on the active 53-man roster for the Titans. He is nowhere near any fantasy radar heading into the 2024-25 season.

Monday, September 1, 11:30 PM

Tennessee Titans practice squad wide receiver Xavier Restrepo remains an intriguing stash in deeper dynasty leagues. Although Restrepo didn't make the Titans' 53-man roster, there are still reasons to be optimistic about his future in Tennessee. First of all, he was a priority target for the Titans as they filled out their practice squad, which means that the front office can still envision him making an impact even though he wasn't selected for the initial roster. Additionally, he has a strong rapport with quarterback Cam Ward, as they were teammates in college. Finally, Tennessee's wide receiver depth is incredibly thin, which means there may be opportunities for non-roster players to step up. Tyler Lockett is likely headed for retirement within the next couple of years, neither Bryce Oliver nor Van Jefferson is a major offensive threat, and rookies Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor both have lower draft capital attached to them after being Day 3 picks. Any Titan receiver not named Calvin Ridley could be replaceable, so Restrepo will have chances to leapfrog other players on the depth chart and earn an elevation to the active roster. Of course, once he gets there, he'll still have to produce. However, at the minimum, there's enough to like about his landing spot to justify stashing him in dynasty leagues. The worst-case scenario is that you cut him mid-season, and that's a risk every fantasy manager can afford to take.