The Titans were looking to recapture some of that old Jonnu Smith magic in their offense when they drafted another move tight end in Okonkwo, and he certainly flashed as a rookie. Okonkwo was a weapon in space for the Titans and averaged 9.8 yards per target with receptions of 48, 41, 31 and 41 in four of his five games from Weeks 9-13. The July signing of DeAndre Hopkins pushes Okonkwo down in the passing-game pecking order, taking shine off the young tight end as an intriguing sleeper. Smith's best season with Ryan Tannehill featured 41 catches, 448 yards and eight touchdowns on 65 targets. It's hard to expect eight scores from Okonkwo, which played a big part in Smith's quality Fantasy finish. Okonkwo is the type of young tight end who could break out if he commands a bigger portion of the passing game than expected, but he's now a late-round flier rather than a potential starting option in Fantasy.
Okonkwo recorded four receptions on five targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Panthers.
Okonkwo tallied his highest yardage total of the season, in large part thanks to a 25-yard reception late in the first quarter. That marked only his second reception of more than 20 yards this season. Okonkwo has at least four targets in eight of 11 games this season, so if he starts to see more downfield looks, he could finally deliver on preseason expectations down the stretch of the campaign.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Disappointing season continues
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Okonkwo recorded one reception (on two targets) for six yards in Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Jaguars.
Okonkwo saw his lowest target total and production since Week 1, continuing his disappointing 2023 campaign. Though he's tallied at least three catches in seven of 10 games, he's topped 30 receiving yards in a contest only twice.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Three catches against Bucs
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Okonkwo recorded three receptions (on six targets) for 27 yards in Sunday's 20-6 loss to the Buccaneers.
Even with Will Levis under center, the story remains the same for Okonkwo. Okonkwo has consistent involvement in the offense -- he's earned at least four targets in seven of nine games -- but isn't utilized downfield, as only one of his 27 receptions on the season has gone for more than 20 yards. He now has failed to reach 30 receiving yards in four consecutive contests.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Three grabs in Week 9 loss
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Okonkwo brought in three of four targets for 28 yards in the Titans' 20-16 loss to the Steelers on Thursday night.
Okonkwo was on the field for 73 percent of the Titans' snaps on offense Thursday, but the athletic tight end's yardage total continued in the same underwhelming range it's typically been this season. Okonkwo has been at 35 yards or less in each game despite serving as the top pass-catching option at tight end, and to this point, he hasn't seen any bump from the switch at quarterback from Ryan Tannehill (ankle) to Will Levis.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Held to 23 yards
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Okonkwo recorded four receptions (on six targets) for 23 yards in Sunday's 28-23 win over the Falcons.
Okonkwo has at least six targets in two of his last three games, yet he has only 74 yards combined in that span. Even more disappointing is Okonkwo's lack of involvement near the end zone, as he has only two targets inside the 20 and only one inside the 10. Overall, he has failed to top 35 yards in any of his seven contests this season.
Okonkwo recorded two receptions on four targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 24-16 loss to the Ravens.
Okonkwo has seen exactly four targets in three of six games this season, giving him a consistent role in the Tennessee offense. However, his production has been very disappointing, as he's failed to top 30 receiving yards on four occasions. His outlook won't improve if Ryan Tannehill (ankle) is forced to miss time.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Finally gets involved
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Okonkwo recorded five receptions on nine targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Colts.
Okonkwo entered Sunday's matchup having failed to command more than four targets in any contest. While he saw his opportunity tick up, he didn't deliver on his chances as he managed only 3.7 yards per target. Okonkwo was a potential breakout candidate in his second season as a pro, though he has yet to surpass 35 receiving yards through five games.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: TEs to Sit
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I made the mistake of expecting Okonkwo to step up in Week 4 against Cincinnati with Treylon Burks (knee) out, and he had another subpar outing with three catches for 29 yards on three targets. He's now scored 7.5 PPR points or less in every game this year, and he's yet to find the end zone. Even if Burks remains out again in Week 5 against the Colts, I can't trust Okonkwo, even in the deepest of leagues. Indianapolis has yet to allow a tight end to score a touchdown, and the Colts have held Evan Engram and Mark Andrews to 9.9 PPR points or less this year.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Sleeper TEs
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Treylon Burks (knee) is out in Week 4 against the Bengals, and I'm hoping that opens up some targets for Okonkwo. He's been disappointing so far this season with four catches and 35 yards or less in every game, with no touchdowns, but hopefully Ryan Tannehill leans on Okonkwo against Cincinnati in a favorable matchup. The Bengals have allowed two tight end touchdowns this season, and last week Tyler Higbee had five catches for 71 yards on five targets. You can only consider using Okonkwo in deeper leagues, but this could be his best game of the season with Burks out.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: No production on three catches
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Okonkwo recorded three catches on four targets for seven yards in Sunday's 27-3 loss to Cleveland.
Okonkwo finished tied for the third on the team in targets, though he ultimately failed to reach double-digit receiving yards for the second time in three games to begin the season. His place in priority for targets combined with the state of the Titans' passing attack suggest that Okonkwo will struggle to produce consistently.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: TEs to Sit
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Okonkwo once again disappointed Fantasy managers in Week 2 against the Chargers with four catches for 35 yards on four targets, but it was an improvement from his Week 1 stat line against the Saints when he had no catches. We'll see what happens in Week 3 against the Browns, but Cleveland has so far eliminated Irv Smith Jr. and Pat Freiermuth in two games with a combined four catches for 19 yards and no touchdowns on six targets. I'm not starting Okonkwo in any leagues in Week 3 if I can avoid it.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Tallies first catches of season
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Okonkwo recorded four receptions on four targets for 35 yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over the Chargers.
Okonkwo was targeted only twice and failed to record a catch Week 1, though he bounced back for a decent performance against the Chargers. His primary contribution came early in the third quarter when he caught a short pass over the middle of the field before dragging defenders for a gain of 20 yards. Okonkwo will likely see inconsistent volume when the entire Tennessee receiving corps is healthy, but he continues to prove capable of making big plays when given a chance.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Sleeper TEs
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I originally had Okonkwo as a sit in Start 'Em & Sit 'Em when DeAndre Hopkins was expected to play in Week 2, but now it appears like Hopkins is out with an ankle injury. That should make Okonkwo more of a focal point in the passing game, and he can be used as a starter in deep Fantasy leagues. In Week 1 at the Saints, Okonkwo was a non-factor with no catches on two targets. But he should get more attention from Ryan Tannehill in Week 2, and the Chargers just allowed Durham Smythe to catch three passes for 44 yards on seven targets in Week 1. Okonkwo could have a stellar game with seven targets, which hopefully will happen now with Hopkins hurt.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: TEs to Sit
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Okonkwo didn't have a good Fantasy outing in Week 1 at New Orleans with no catches on just two targets, and it's hard to trust him in Week 2 against the Chargers. While Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe saw seven targets against Los Angeles in Week 1, he finished with just three catches for 44 yards. At this point, Fantasy managers with Okonkwo would love to have even that level of production. Keep him reserved in all leagues for Week 2.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Blanked in Week 1
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Okonkwo did not record a reception on two targets in Sunday's 16-15 loss to the Saints.
Okonkwo was a breakout candidate for much of the offseason, though those hopes were seemingly derailed by the addition of DeAndre Hopkins. That came to fruition in Week 1, as Hopkins dominated with 13 targets on only 33 catchable pass attempts from Ryan Tannehill. Okonkwo could become a threat in the red zone, but he'll likely face a difficult path to seeing consistent targets.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: TEs to Sit
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Okonkwo is one of my favorite tight ends to stash, but I don't want to start him in Week 1 against the Saints. For starters, I want to see how Tennessee's offense looks with DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks and Okonkwo all healthy, and Okonkwo has to prove he will command targets from Ryan Tannehill while sharing the field with those receivers, as well as Derrick Henry. The Saints were also No. 1 in fewest PPR points allowed to opposing tight ends last year, and this defense should be able to limit Okonkwo's production this week.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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Despite the addition of Hopkins and the presence of Burks, Okonkwo should still get enough targets from Ryan Tannehill where he could be a low-end starter in all leagues. I like drafting Okonkwo with another tight end with upside -- like Dalton Kincaid or LaPorta -- and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Okonkwo as the better Fantasy option. Kyle Philips (knee) being out should help Okonkwo, and I would add him in all formats for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Returning to practice
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Okonkwo (leg) will return to practice Monday, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.
The Titans never expected Okonkwo to be out for long even though he missed the final preseason game. He's expected to be the team's top pass-catching TE and now has two full weeks to prepare for a Week 1 game in New Orleans.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Should return soon
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Coach Mike Vrabel said Saturday that he expects Okonkwo (leg) will return to practice this week, John Glennon of SI.com reports.
Okonkwo was held out of Friday's preseason win over the Patriots after suffering a minor leg injury during joint practices leading up to the game. He should be fine for Week 1 at New Orleans and could even be the second option in Tennessee's passing game (behind WR DeAndre Hopkins) if WR Treylon Burks (knee) is still bothered by an LCL injury.
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Titans' Chigoziem Okonkwo: Sees preseason action
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Okonkwo recorded one reception on three targets for 19 yards in Saturday's 24-16 preseason victory over the Vikings.
Okonkwo made his 2023 preseason debut, though he worked with Malik Willis as Ryan Tannehill sat out. He didn't show great rapport with Willis, though he still managed to tally one significant gain. Okonkwo should be more involved in the offense during his second professional season, particularly if Treylon Burks (knee) is forced to miss any time.
