The Tennessee Titans offense has undergone quite a bit of change this offseason, specifically at the wide receiver position. The A.J. Brown/ Julio Jones pairing didn't work in 2021, so the front office got rid of them and brought in Robert Woods and Treylon Burks.
While Woods may be set to miss the start of the 2022 season, Burks is ready to go after being the Titans first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Burks has some big shoes to fill in replacing the outgoing Brown, and he's going to have every opportunity to succeed in Tennessee's offense this season.
Burks has a lot of potential, but when it comes to fantasy football, it's always risky to trust rookies to produce right out of the gate. Some guys, like Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals, are studs right out of the gate. But oftentimes, it takes awhile for these rookies to find their footing in the NFL. Will Burks take awhile to find his footing, or will he be a breakout star immediately? Let's answer that two-pronged question and take a closer look at Burks' 2022 fantasy football outlook.
Treylon Burks' 2022 fantasy football outlook
Burks made a name for himself in his college career at Arkansas as a deep threat. Over time though, he developed himself into a guy who can get open at all three levels of the field, which makes him a great fit in the Titans offense. Burks had an explosive junior year with Arkansas (66 REC, 1104 YDS, 12 TD) that he will hopefully be able to carry over to the NFL.
Burks joins a Titans team that is set up to win now. Their offensive gameplan revolves primarily around star running back Derrick Henry, as it should. That makes the Titans passing attack a secondary feature in their offense, immediately limiting Burks' potential fantasy value.
There's a chance that Burks will be forced to step in and immediately be Tennesse's top wide receiver option, though. As previously mentioned, Woods may miss the beginning of the 2022 season as he recovers from a torn ACL injury he suffered last season. That may force Burks to take on more responsibility in the offense than initially expected.
Is Burks going to be able to immediately come in and succeed against top-tier NFL cornerbacks? That may be asking a lot from him, even though he was one of the top wide receivers selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Burks figures to be a more reliable fantasy option once Woods returns to the field. Woods is more of a shorter-passing game option, while Burks still excels on deep passes. Having both of them on the field together should help keep the Titans passing game flowing.
To start the season, though, Burks is a bit of a wild card, as are most rookies. Counting on rookies to immediately make the jump from college to the pros is risky business, especially when it comes to fantasy football. Burks is part of an effective offense, but the odds may be stacked against him to succeed early on in the season.
Burks usage also could waver throughout the season given how reliant Tennessee is on Henry and their ground game. Ryan Tannehill often fills the role of game manager at quarterback, hitting throws when he has to, but often deferring to Henry out of the backfield. There are going to be games where Burks doesn't get targeted much, and how he is able to produce with those limited targets will be crucial in him establishing consistent fantasy value.
Burks' mystery status ses him being ranked somewhere between the top 35 and 40 wide receivers available heading into the 2022 season. There are a lot of question marks surrounding Burks that we ultimately won't know the answer to until the season starts. That dampens his fantasy value for now, but it's clear there's a lot of potential when it comes to Burks.
Counting on Burks right out of the gate isn't going to be the best gameplan for fantasy owners. Burks could be a FLEX option if he gets a high volume of targets early, but he may struggle to find consistency early in the season with Woods on the sidelines. Burks seems safer as a sleeper stash early who could breakout later on in the season.
Burks seems likely to get taken between rounds 10-12, meaning he will probably be a bench option for most owners to start the season. But Burks potential is clear as day, and if he gets on the same wavelength with Tannehill early, he could be a steal if he reaches the 12th round. Chances are Burks won't be a pick who produces immediately, but if he finds his fit with Tennessee, the sky is the limit for Burks.
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