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The Tennessee Titans had hoped that their Week 9 bye would give rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate enough time to recover from a shoulder injury that kept him out of action in Week 8. However, after Tate failed to participate in practice, the team has officially ruled him out for their Week 10 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With Tate unavailable on Sunday, fellow wideouts WanDale Robinson, Chimere Dike, and Elic Ayomanor are all expected to see expanded roles in the Titans' offense. So, how does Tate's absence impact the fantasy football value of Tennessee's wide receiver corps? All statistics referenced in this article are sourced from PFF or Sumer Sports unless otherwise noted, and fantasy rankings and point totals are provided by FantasyPros.
Fantasy Impact: WanDale Robinson, WR, Tennessee Titans
When Tate was sidelined in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Robinson led the Titans' offense in snaps (72) and routes run (47) as the primary slot receiver. He also finished as the WR15 in fantasy points (15.7) that week, drawing the second-most targets (7) on the team. However, with the Jaguars allowing the eighth-fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to slot receivers (-1.6), Robinson is only a risky flex option for fantasy managers in dire need.
Fantasy Impact: Chimere Dike, WR, Tennessee Titans
In Week 8 without Tate, Dike recorded the second-most snaps (63) and routes run (40), finishing with 5 catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. As a result, he was the WR10 in fantasy points (18.1) that week. Dike directly replaced Tate as the Z receiver in Tennessee's offense, and the same role is expected for him on Sunday against Jacksonville. Given that the Jaguars are permitting the 10th-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to outside receivers (+2.4), Dike is a much more appealing gamble than Robinson.
Fantasy Impact: Elic Ayomanor, WR, Tennessee Titans
When Tate was first ruled out in Week 8, Ayomanor rotated with veteran Calvin Ridley as the X receiver on the outside. He logged 50 snaps and ran 30 routes against the Bengals but managed only 3 receptions for 34 yards on 5 targets. Among the healthy wideouts on the Titans, both Ayomanor and Ridley should be avoided unless fantasy managers are absolutely desperate in deeper leagues.
Skyler Carlin is an experienced sports writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, and soccer for FanDuel Research and USA Today. Outside of writing, he enjoys cooking, watching movies, and playing video games. Follow him on Twitter at skyler_carlin.