Will Levis Carries Promising Potential in Fantasy Football

Finding breakout second-year quarterbacks can be a huge leg up in fantasy football. Over the last five seasons, we've consistently seen signal-callers in their second seasons crash the top-10 fantasy QBs in half-PPR leagues.

Check out this long list of quarterbacks that pulled off the feat: Brock Purdy as QB6 in 2023, Trevor Lawrence as QB8 in 2022, Justin Herbert as QB2 in 2021, Joe Burrow as QB8 in 2021, Jalen Hurts as QB9 in 2021, Kyler Murray as QB2 in 2020, Lamar Jackson as QB1 in 2019, and Josh Allen as QB6 in 2019.

C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson are two clear names that come to mind for second-year QBs to finish in the top 10 of fantasy rankings; both players are among the first six signal-callers drafted via FantasyPros' average draft position (ADP) in half-PPR leagues.

Will Levis is a name flying under radars as QB24. He flashed promising potential over nine starts with the Tennessee Titans in his rookie season, including a sixth-place finish in weekly rankings.

Can Levis approach a top-10 finish? It's unlikely, but this trend doesn't always go as expected. For example, Purdy was QB19 in drafts last season, and Lawrence had a QB18 ADP in 2022.

Could the Titans' second-year QB develop into one of the steals of fantasy drafts? Let's jump into the numbers, including numberFire's fantasy football projections.

Will Levis Fantasy Football Outlook

Arm Talent Elevates Levis to Starting Spot

Levis' rookie year was pretty typical; there was some good, bad, and ugly. Most importantly, he flashed enough potential to become the Titans' starting signal-caller going forward.

It wasn't a huge surprise as Levis was mostly regarded as a first-round talent in the 2023 NFL Draft thanks to his physical attributes, throwing power, and mobility. He was even competing to be a top-three pick during the draft process. Instead, Levis became one of the biggest draft slides we've seen in awhile as he was the 33rd overall pick into the second round.

When Levis got his first chance to start in 2023, he made it count, totaling 26.6 fantasy points while racking up 238 passing yards and 4 passing touchdowns. It was a debut to remember with 0.08 expected points added per drop back (EPA/db; per NFL's NextGenStats) while finishing sixth in weekly fantasy rankings.

For reference, Matthew Stafford had the seventh-highest EPA/db at 0.08 among qualifying QBs in 2023, so that's how good Levis was in his debut.

Following Week 8, Levis was pretty much up and down as expected from most rookies. He would not approach his debut performance again, for his next-best weekly fantasy finish was QB15 in Week 14.

His efficiency wasn't that far ahead of Ryan Tannehill, holding a -0.10 EPA/db -- compared to the vet's mark of -0.14. So, what caused the Titans to make the call on Levis becoming the head honcho?

The arm talent was evident as Levis finished with a 10.5 average depth of target (aDOT) compared to Tannehill's 7.8. This is a team that's finished 13th or worse in yards per passing attempt for three straight seasons. Replacing Tannehill's aging arm was a desperate need with the offense severely lacking big plays.

What can we expect from Tannehill's role in the upcoming season. Will it mean good fantasy value?

Titan-Sized Investments into the Passing Game

Perhaps the most important factor for Levis is the Titans' major coaching changes. They made the shocking move to let go of coach Mike Vrabel, hiring Brian Callahan in his stead.

Callahan was the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2023. This certainly suggests a change of pace as Vrabel brought a muddy, defensive style while Callahan comes from a high-scoring team with a potent passing attack.

Bringing in Nick Holz as the offensive coordinator only further points to an increased passing attack. Holz was the passing-game coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who finished with the seventh-most passing attempts per game and the ninth-most passing yards per contest.

Moves down the roster continue to emphasize more passing attempts, for Tennessee added wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd in free agency. Running back Tony Pollard, who has built a reputation as a quality receiving target, was also added to the backfield.

Pollard and Tyjae Spears are an exceptional one-two receiving punch, and both had receiving grades above 76.0 from Pro Football Focus (PFF) last season.

The additions didn't stop there as the Titans also spent their top 2024 draft pick on a potential franchise left tackle in JC Latham.

Everything on this offense is screaming investment around the passing game, giving Levis a true opportunity to shine.

Will Levis Fantasy Football Projection

numberFire is projecting Levis as QB27 -- three spots below his ADP. The forecasted stats have him recording a similar mark of 7.2 yards per passing attempt compared to 7.1 in 2023. Additionally, his passing touchdown average is a projected 0.8 per game versus 0.9 per contest last season.

One of the encouraging marks is his increased usage in the run game. numberFire has Levis attempting 4.2 carries per game compared to 2.8 in 2023 while reaching three rushing TDs for the season.

This was one part of Levis' game Tennessee failed to utilize in 2023. Levis is mobile with sturdy 6-foot-4, 229-pound frame, making him a solid asset in goal-line situations. In fact, he scored nine rushing touchdowns with Kentucky in 2021.

After taking 11.8% of the Titans' carries within the five-yard line last season, the rushing TD potential is real. Keep in mind Levis reached this season-long mark while playing in only 9 of the Titans' 17 contests.

We could also expect more from Levis' passing stats compared to what the projections are saying. According to PlayerProfiler, Levis had the most air yards per attempt (10.4) in the league last season; that certainly suggests a lot of deep shots in 2024, pointing to more than 7.2 yards per attempt.

Levis quieted concerns about interceptions as he posted the sixth-highest protection rate (89.0%) while totaling just four picks. A projected 11 interceptions simply seems harsh.

With that said, Levis could be worth a swing in 12- or 14-team fantasy leagues. Of course, this would be more of a stash option due to his QB27 projection.

Still, the upside is evident with the Titans rapidly adding to their passing game while bringing in offensive minds from pass-happy attacks. Levis has the arm to consistently hit big plays paired with solid efficiency and rushing potential. Tennessee's signal-caller is a solid second QB to roster who could tap into massive upside while potentially surpassing his QB24 ADP.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.