Carnell Tate rookie fantasy outlook and impact on WR teammates

The Tennessee Titans selected WR Carnell Tate in the first round of the NFL draft. What is his realistic 2026 fantasy outlook, and how might his presence impact Wan’Dale Robinson and other Tennessee wideouts?

In what might have been an NFL first, last year this franchise had a rookie QB throwing primarily to three rookie receivers: Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, and Gunnar Helm. This combo accounted for exactly half of the team’s WR/TE targets. Entering 2026, we can throw most of that out the window, as the Titans have added #4 overall pick Tate, as well as high-priced free agent Robinson.

All of these receivers’ fantasy prospects hinge largely on Cam Ward’s development in Year 2. But there’s almost no doubt that Tate and Robinson will combine for 33% of Ward’s looks, and probably upwards of 40%. If Ward hits 600+ pass attempts, both Tate and Robinson could post top-24 numbers. If it’s closer to 525, then Tate or Robinson could be minor busts.

Either way, there’s not enough to feed secondary options, especially with catch-happy Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears in the backfield. A healthy Calvin Ridley muddies things further, though I can’t imagine Tennessee wanting to keep the post-prime 31-year-old past the trade deadline. He is the rare receiver whose catch rate has declined in each NFL season, bottoming out (for now) at an anemic 43.3% in 2025.