Week 13 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
DeAndre Hopkins's five catches and a touchdown in Week 12 were his best since his Week 9 breakout against the Buccaneers. He gets a second meeting this week against the Raiders. In his Chiefs debut in Week 8, Hopkins caught two passes for 29 yards, but that can be chalked up to Hopkins getting his feet wet in the Chiefs' offense. He's more involved now. The Raiders do rank 8th in fantasy points to wide receivers but just allowed an 8-97-2 line to Broncos WR Courtland Sutton in Week 12.
Week 12 at Carolina Panthers
Week 11 against the Bills marked DeAndre Hopkins' second game since joining the Chiefs in which he recorded just 29 yards. His only scores with the Chiefs remain his two against the Buccaneers in Week 9. Week 12 could buck that trend as the Panthers rank 24th in passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed. Hopkins does have flex appeal this week.
Week 11 at Buffalo Bills
DeAndre Hopkins could still be getting his feet wet in the Chiefs' offense, but he was also facing a tough Broncos defense last week, hence the 4-56 line last week. He does have 17 targets through three games as a Chief. The Bills' secondary has been excellent this season and overall rank 12th in fantasy points per game allowed to wide receivers.
Week 10 vs. Denver Broncos
Welcome to Kansas City, DeAndre Hopkins. Nuk and Patrick Mahomes connected twice for scores on Monday. He looks just about fully acclimated to the offense, which could spell bad news for the rest of the league. A fun matchup between Hopkins and Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain awaits on Sunday but the Broncos also have to account for Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce. Hopkins is near a WR2 this week.
Week 9 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In DeAndre Hopkins' first game with the Chiefs, he caught two passes for 29 yards on three targets. He only played 22 snaps. It was expected he would limited until he gets the playbook down. Once he does, he should easily become the top target for Patrick Mahomes. He gets the Buccaneers this week, currently the league's 4th-worst pass defense in terms of passing yards allowed per game and bottom ten in EPA/pass. Hopkins is a deeper flex with some upside if he starts gelling with Mahomes.
Week 8 at Las Vegas Raiders
DeAndre Hopkins went from 1-5 to 6-0 thanks to his trade from the Titans to the Chiefs. It remains to be seen if he'll be limited in Week 8 depending on how acclimated he is to the offense. Even still, he'll be a top target this week for Patrick Mahomes with JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) out. Hopkins is an intriguing flex option this week against the Raiders, though the Raiders have actually been one of the better passing defenses through eight weeks.
Week 7 at Buffalo Bills
Over the last few weeks, DeAndre Hopkins has been more productive than Calvin Ridley. Hopkins' four catches in Week 6 are two more than Ridley has in his last three games combined. But between the tough matchup against the Bills and the constant struggles of quarterback Will Levis, Hopkins is a deeper flex play at best in Week 7.
Week 6 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Following his 6-73-1 line in Week 3, Hopkins took a step back, in part due to the quarterback play in Week 4, with a 2-31 line. With a limited passing game and Calvin Ridley still on the other side, Hopkins' fantasy value is capped with a low ceiling. He's just inside our top 40 at the position for this week.
Fantasy Upside
It's almost hard to believe DeAndre Hopkins is entering his 12th NFL season. Nuk isn't the explosive receiver he once was but he can still put up numbers. He caught 75 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. That was good for a WR25 finish. However, as our John Paulsen notes, Hopkins was around WR15 during the eight games in which Will Levis was the starter. Levis is now the full-time starter and the Titans could be throwing the ball more under new head coach Brian Callahan, a good sign for Hopkins.
Fantasy Downside
Of course, there is a new (and expensive) kid in town in Calvin Ridley, who will take targets away from Hopkins, who is entering his age-32 season. Will Hopkins' connection with Levis carry over from last season? Plenty of questions about the offense.
2024 Bottom Line
The offense has more upside with Callahan calling the shots and an improved offensive line to protect Levis. That should provide plenty of work for Hopkins, but with Ridley and Tyler Boyd in the mix, Hopkins should be viewed as a WR3 with WR2 upside.
Week 17 at Houston Texans
DeAndre Hopkins took a step back in terms of statistical production with Ryan Tannehill under center in relief of Will Levis. Hopkins only saw four targets from Tannehill, catching two of them for 20 scoreless yards. The good news is Levis is off the injury report and will start in Week 17 against the Texans. Hopkins was regularly seeing double-digit (or close to it) targets from Levis before his injury. The Houston pass defense is nothing to be afraid of, and the Titans are four-point underdogs on the road meaning they may have to throw more than usual this week. Hopkins will still dominate passing volume amongst the Tennessee pass catchers despite last week's poor showing, which makes him a solid flex option or low-end WR2 if you're in a bind for Week 17.
