Who Should I Start? Tyler Lockett or Christian Kirk

Saturday, October 4, 1:04 AM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tyler Lockett has seen an appealing snap and target share over the last few weeks, and he could be headed for an expanded role in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals. Lockett is currently preparing for the matchup as the Titans' No. 3 receiver, as he has been doing ever since the season opener, but he could jump to second on the depth chart if Calvin Ridley (knee, elbow), who is questionable, doesn't suit up. Ridley has been underwhelming this year but would still vacate around 50 snaps, many of which would likely go to Lockett. There's a direct relationship between the two players' snap shares; every time Ridley has played at least 85 percent of the snaps, Lockett plays below 60 percent. Last week, when Ridley played just 54 percent, Lockett saw his snap share jump to 72 percent. Having someone like Lockett on the field is a good idea for the Titans, who have youth elsewhere in Cameron Ward, Elic Ayomanor, and Chig Okonkwo. A reliable veteran presence with sure hands in the short and medium passing games, Lockett has 12 targets but just six catches through his first four games in Tennessee. A Ridley absence could push Lockett closer to six or seven targets with at least a few receptions, therefore giving him some WR3/flex appeal in the deepest leagues. On the other hand, if Ridley plays, Lockett would probably see around just 50 percent of the snaps, which isn't enough to get him on the fantasy radar.

Saturday, October 4, 11:08 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk caught three of four targets for 20 yards last week in his team's 26-0 win over the Titans, and he will look to continue to work his way into a volume role against the Ravens this week, after missing the first two weeks of the season. He played 61% of snaps in Week 4 after playing 67% in Week 3. With the Texans playing from ahead, they didn't throw the ball as muh in Week 4, though, so his targets decreased. The veteran wideout continues to find a way to carve out a role in Houston's underwhelming passing offense, and he seems to be the primary slot option and secondary receiver behind Nico Collins. The Ravens have been very beatable through the air so he does have potential flier upside even though his WR43 ranking on RotoBaller means he's not an ideal flex solution.