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Fantasy Football Target Analysis: Week 7

Fantasy Football Target Analysis: Week 7

The NFL remains as unpredictable as ever but tracking targets every week offers us a chance to see what players are consistently getting the opportunities to produce on the field. Analyzing these opportunities then helps us paint a better overall picture of the fantasy landscape and make better decisions moving forward.

Only Detroit and Houston, who were on a bye in Week 7, are missing from this week’s analysis but Week 8 is a brutal bye week as six teams won’t suit up this week.

Getting through this abbreviated slate will be rough, but using Week 7 target data from our friends at Pro Football Focus, let’s see if we can exploit some opportunities using last week’s NFL targets.

View weekly target counts and leaders across the NFL partner-arrow

Arizona Cardinals

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Jaron Brown ARZ 5 2 37 0 0
Kerwynn Williams ARZ 4 2 27 0 0
Adrian Peterson ARZ 4 1 12 0 2
J.J. Nelson ARZ 4 2 39 0 0
Brittan Golden ARZ 3 3 20 0 0
John Brown ARZ 3 1 6 0 0
Larry Fitzgerald ARZ 3 3 29 0 0
Jermaine Gresham ARZ 3 1 18 0 1

 
Things went from bad to worse for the Cardinals passing game once Drew Stanton took over at quarterback. Stanton was brutal, completing only five of 14 passes and throwing an interception. The Cardinals also had no luck on the ground so it’s hard to be optimistic about this offense once they emerge from the Week 8 bye.

Targets were more-or-less evenly distributed among Arizona’s pass catchers last week, but inefficiency reigned supreme. Larry Fitzgerald caught all three of his looks but only registered 29 yards after a huge Week 6 showing. With Carson Palmer out for an extended period, Fitzgerald should be heavily-featured but could be hampered by Stanton’s ineptitude.

Minus Andre Ellington, the Cards had little success throwing to running backs. Adrian Peterson dropped half of his four targets and Kerwynn Williams caught just two passes. Ellington produced back-to-back weeks of nine grabs but is unlikely to play that kind of role without Palmer.

Atlanta Falcons

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Julio Jones ATL 13 9 99 1 1
Mohamed Sanu ATL 10 6 65 0 0
Devonta Freeman ATL 3 3 18 0 0
Justin Hardy ATL 2 2 21 0 0
Taylor Gabriel ATL 2 2 24 0 0
Andre Roberts ATL 1 0 0 0 0
Tevin Coleman ATL 1 0 0 0 1
Austin Hooper ATL 1 1 6 0 0

 
Julio Jones finally got into the end zone, but a bigger development was that Jones caught his touchdown on the goal line. Jones’s lack of red zone presence has long been a mystery to fantasy owners, so it was good to see the star wideout command three red zone targets and catch a fade in the end zone. Jones gets a struggling Jets secondary in Week 8.

After sitting out Week 6, Mohamed Sanu returned to play 51 snaps and catch six of 10 targets. Now that he’s over his hamstring injury, Sanu will remain Atlanta’s clear No. 2 receiver and that will cause fewer looks for Taylor Gabriel and Austin Hooper, who combined to catch only three balls for 30 yards.

After Tevin Coleman played a bigger role in the passing game through the first month of the season, Devonta Freeman has out-targeted Coleman 7-2 in the Falcons’ past two games. Coleman has played only 37 snaps in those two contests, compared to Freeman’s 83. Coleman seems to play much better in Atlanta, so we may be looking at another fade situation in Week 8 as the Falcons travel to New York.

Baltimore Ravens

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Javorius Allen BAL 10 8 29 0 0
Chris Moore BAL 7 2 36 1 0
Griff Whalen BAL 5 4 23 0 0
Benjamin Watson BAL 5 5 38 0 0
Michael Campanaro BAL 3 3 31 0 0
Nick Boyle BAL 3 2 12 0 0
Bobby Rainey Jr. BAL 2 2 8 0 0
Mike Wallace BAL 1 1 9 0 0

 
With Jeremy Maclin and Breshad Perriman out and Mike Wallace severely limited, Joe Flacco was limited to 186 passing yards throwing to Baltimore’s third- and fourth-team receivers. Flacco is now the QB31, ahead of only Chicago’s ineffective tandem of Mike Glennon and Mitchell Trubisky.

Javorius Allen caught a season-high eight passes but managed only 29 yards. Three of Allen’s catches went for negative yards and none were in the red zone. Overall, Allen has caught 3+ balls in each of Baltimore’s past six games, so he should remain a solid source of receptions, but one with limited upside.

The Ravens host Miami on Thursday Night Football, so it could be difficult for Jeremy Maclin (shoulder) and Mike Wallace (concussion) to be ready for Week 8, setting up the struggling Baltimore passing attack for another week of muted stats.

Buffalo Bills

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
LeSean McCoy BUF 7 5 31 0 0
Zay Jones BUF 7 2 17 0 0
Deonte Thompson BUF 4 4 107 0 0
Andre Holmes BUF 3 2 11 0 0
Jordan Matthews BUF 3 2 10 0 0
Taiwan Jones BUF 2 1 11 0 0
Nick O’Leary BUF 2 2 58 0 0
Mike Tolbert BUF 1 1 1 0 0
Logan Thomas BUF 1 1 22 1 0

 
Zay Jones continues to be brutally inefficient. Jones has played 335 snaps (over 85%) this season but managed to haul in just seven of 32 targets for 83 yards. Through seven weeks, Jones is the WR113 and has scored one more fantasy point than Oakland’s Johnny Holton, who has played 37 snaps for the Raiders.

Journeyman receiver Deonte Thompson, who was just signed by the Bills, had an impressive debut, catching all four of his targets for 107 yards in 21 snaps. Buffalo’s limited passing offense will prevent Thompson from being a consistent contributor, but he could begin to push Zay Jones and Andre Holmes for playing time.

LeSean McCoy continues to lead the Bills in targets and receptions and finally got into the end zone, scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns and nearly catching a third score. McCoy’s 32 receptions are tied for fourth in the league among running backs.

Carolina Panthers

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Christian McCaffrey CAR 9 7 36 0 0
Devin Funchess CAR 7 4 41 0 0
Kelvin Benjamin CAR 6 3 65 0 0
Ed Dickson CAR 4 3 18 0 0
Chris Manhertz CAR 2 1 11 0 0
Russell Shepard CAR 2 2 20 0 0
Curtis Samuel CAR 1 1 20 0 0

 
With seven more grabs, Christian McCaffrey leads all NFL running backs in receptions (44) and ranks second with 329 receiving yards. McCaffrey has struggled badly as a runner, averaging only 2.5 yards-per-carry and failing to score. Perhaps he’ll find more success on the ground in Week 8 against Tampa Bay’s anemic run defense.

Cam Newton struggled to sustain drives in Chicago and ended up committing three turnovers in a bad loss. Newton’s ineffectiveness also resulted in quiet games for Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess, who combined to catch just seven of 13 targets. The duo should be able to rebound in Week 8 against Tampa’s league-worst secondary that allows over 44 fantasy points-per-game to wideouts.

TE Ed Dickson now has four straight games with at least three grabs and has done a solid job filling in for the injured Greg Olsen. Olsen is expected to return to practice in the next week or two but won’t be eligible to come off IR for another month.

Chicago Bears

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Zach Miller CHI 3 2 29 0 0
Tarik Cohen CHI 3 1 70 0 1
Tanner Gentry CHI 1 1 8 0 0

 
Nothing is missing here, the Bears won an NFL football game against a quality opponent by completing just four passes. Tanner Gentry led Chicago’s receiving corps in snaps for the second consecutive game, but dropped from 76 to 33 snaps. Gentry also caught the only target that Mitchell Trubisky threw to a wide receiver in the entire contest.

Tarik Cohen played just seven snaps and did not receive a rushing attempt in this game, but his single touch accounted for 65% of Chicago’s entire passing output. With the Bears struggling to mount any credible passing attack, Cohen stands to lose most of his limited fantasy value.

Mitchell Trubisky attempted just seven passes as the Bears were able to ride two defensive touchdowns to an ugly win. For the season, Trubisky has completed just 50% of his throws and accounted for two touchdowns and three turnovers. He’s not a fantasy option and his limitations will render all of Chicago’s pass catchers unusable.

Cincinnati Bengals

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Brandon LaFell CIN 7 4 28 1 0
A.J. Green CIN 5 3 41 0 0
Tyler Kroft CIN 4 4 23 1 0
Joe Mixon CIN 3 3 20 0 0
Giovani Bernard CIN 3 1 -1 0 2
C.J. Uzomah CIN 2 1 7 0 1
Cody Core CIN 2 0 0 0 0
Josh Malone CIN 1 0 0 0 0
Alex Erickson CIN 1 1 22 0 0

 
A.J. Green was held in check by Buffalo’s talented cornerback duo of E.J. Gaines and Tre’Davious White, but Green should rebound nicely in Week 8 against a struggling Indianapolis secondary that has allowed a league-high 1,400 yards to opposing wide receivers.

Over Cincinnati’s past three games, TE Tyler Kroft has quietly played a role similar to Tyler Eifert, catching 14 passes for 129 yards but hauling in three touchdowns. Kroft is a solid streaming option in Week 8 facing a Colts secondary that has allowed a tight end to score a touchdown in four of the past five weeks.

With the Bengals trailing for most of this game, Gio Bernard led the Cincy backfield in snaps for the third time in six games but Bernard produced only seven yards on four touches. Joe Mixon out-targeted Bernard 3-to-1 and was far more effective as a runner.

Cleveland Browns

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Duke Johnson Jr. CLE 7 6 45 0 1
Isaiah Crowell CLE 6 4 36 0 0
David Njoku CLE 5 2 58 0 0
Ricardo Louis CLE 4 3 21 0 1
Kenny Britt CLE 4 2 7 0 1
Seth DeValve CLE 2 2 27 0 0
Bryce Treggs CLE 2 1 19 0 0
Rashard Higgins CLE 2 1 11 0 0
Danny Vitale CLE 1 1 11 0 0

 
Ricardo Louis led the Browns in snaps for the fifth consecutive week but averaged just seven yards on three receptions. As long as Hue Jackson continues to play musical chairs with each of his ineffective quarterbacks, none of Cleveland’s pass catchers can be considered a reliable source of fantasy production.

The only bright spot for the Browns offense has been Duke Johnson, who led Cleveland in targets and receptions once again and is third among NFL running backs in catches (43) and yards (314) and fourth with 32 receptions.

After missing two games, free agent bust Kenny Britt returned to accumulate seven yards of offense in his 55 snaps. A candidate to be covered by elite Minnesota cornerback Xavier Rhodes, Britt is likely to score just as many fantasy points in Week 8 as everyone reading this.

Dallas Cowboys

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Dez Bryant DAL 9 7 63 1 1
Jason Witten DAL 4 4 54 1 0
Terrance Williams DAL 2 0 0 0 0
Rod Smith DAL 2 1 5 0 0
Ryan Switzer DAL 1 1 2 0 0
Ezekiel Elliott DAL 1 1 72 1 0
Geoff Swaim DAL 1 1 7 0 0
Cole Beasley DAL 1 1 24 0 0
Alfred Morris DAL 1 1 9 0 0

 
Dez Bryant caught another short-yardage touchdown and now ranks second in the league with 12 red zone targets and leads the NFL with 11 end zone looks – over 61% of Dak Prescott‘s end zone throws. While Bryant will remain the Cowboys’ main receiving red zone weapon, keep an eye on Washington cornerback Josh Norman’s status for Week 8.

TE Jason Witten ranks as the No. 6 tight end for the season and has produced a touchdown or eight+ grabs in four of six games. Witten made a nifty one-handed grab from 18 yards out to score his touchdown in Week 7 – the first tight end touchdown that San Francisco allowed in 2017.

RB Rod Smith played 13 snaps in Week 7, which is the most snaps any Dallas running back has seen behind Ezekiel Elliott all season. Most of that playing time can be attributed to Dallas commanding a huge lead, but with Elliott’s suspension potentially looming, tracking the Cowboys’ running back usage is important. For the season, Smith has logged 26 snaps, Alfred Morris 25 and Darren McFadden has yet to play.

Denver Broncos

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
A.J. Derby DEN 7 6 66 0 0
Demaryius Thomas DEN 6 2 9 0 0
Bennie Fowler III DEN 5 5 45 0 0
Jamaal Charles DEN 4 4 20 0 0
Devontae Booker DEN 4 3 22 0 0
Virgil Green DEN 2 1 7 0 1
Andy Janovich DEN 2 2 14 0 0
C.J. Anderson DEN 2 1 17 0 1
Hunter Sharp DEN 1 0 0 0 0
Jordan Taylor DEN 1 1 7 0 0

 
We were expecting big things from Demaryius Thomas with Emmanuel Sanders sidelined, instead, Thomas fell victim to Trevor Siemian‘s awful performance and had his worst game of the season. Thomas had an 81-yard catch-and-run called back due to offensive pass interference and was never able to gain any momentum.

Speaking of Siemian, he’s been awful after a hot start. In Denver’s past four games, Siemian has just two touchdowns against five interceptions and has been the fantasy QB29 since Week 3.

A.J. Derby has led Denver’s tight end trio in snaps in consecutive games and has produced quality fantasy numbers in two of the past three games. As long as the Broncos continue to split time between Derby, Virgil Green and Jeff Heuerman, this is a situation to avoid. But if Derby continues to see his role grow, he could become an interesting streaming option.

Green Bay Packers

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Davante Adams GB 4 2 12 0 0
Aaron Jones GB 4 3 7 0 0
Jordy Nelson GB 3 1 13 0 0
Randall Cobb GB 3 2 15 0 0
Martellus Bennett GB 3 2 17 0 0
Geronimo Allison GB 2 1 14 0 1
Ty Montgomery GB 1 1 9 0 0

 
Brett Hundley‘s first start in place of Aaron Rodgers didn’t exactly inspire much confidence as Hundley completed less than half of his attempts and was held to 87 passing yards. Hundley was able to rush for 44 yards and a score, but if he doesn’t improve as a passer quickly he could devastate the fantasy value of a Green Bay passing attack that can regularly sustain two or even three starting-caliber wideouts.

How bad was Hundley? Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, and Randall Cobb all had their worst games of the season. Cobb led the Packers’ receiving corps with just 15 receiving yards, which was just two off from TE Martellus Bennett‘s team-leading 17 yards. Bennett’s performance was his second-worst showing of 2017.

The lone bright spot for Green Bay was RB Aaron Jones, who appears to have clearly moved ahead of Ty Montgomery. Jones played 44 of 55 snaps and turned 20 touches into 138 yards and a touchdown. Montgomery played only seven snaps and accounted for 15 yards on five touches. We could see a lot more emphasis on Jones and the ground game when Green Bay returns from their Week 8 bye.

Indianapolis Colts

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Jack Doyle IND 7 6 44 0 0
Marlon Mack IND 6 4 40 0 2
T.Y. Hilton IND 6 2 27 0 0
Donte Moncrief IND 4 2 30 0 0
Kamar Aiken IND 3 2 8 0 0
Darrell Daniels IND 3 1 7 0 0
Chester Rogers IND 2 2 21 0 0
Quan Bray IND 2 2 17 0 0
Brandon Williams IND 1 1 6 0 0

 
Marlon Mack played a season-high 32 snaps and got more playing time than Frank Gore. Both backs accounted for nine touches, but Mack should be the favorite for more work in passing situations and could even eat into Gore’s carries. For the season, Mack is averaging 4.9 yards-per-tote, compared to Gore’s 3.4.

No surprise that T.Y. Hilton was shut down by Jacksonville’s elite cornerback tandem of A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey. The Week 8 matchup for Hilton is only marginally better against a Cincinnati secondary that has surrendered the sixth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers so far in 2017.

TE Jack Doyle led the Colts in targets, receptions, and yards and has now hauled in 5+ balls in three straight games. Hampered by Jacoby Brissett‘s limited ability as a passer, the Colts aren’t going to blow teams away through the air, but Doyle is becoming a reliable source of catches. Up next for Doyle is a Bengals defense that ranks No. 3 against tight ends.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Allen Hurns JAC 8 5 101 0 1
Marqise Lee JAC 6 4 72 0 0
Keelan Cole JAC 3 2 64 0 0
Marcedes Lewis JAC 3 2 29 1 0
T.J. Yeldon JAC 2 2 15 0 0
Corey Grant JAC 1 1 28 0 0
Ben Koyack JAC 1 1 7 0 0
Tommy Bohanon JAC 1 1 14 0 0
Arrelious Benn JAC 1 0 0 0 1

 
Devoid of star running back Leonard Fournette, the Jags went more pass-heavy in the first half and Blake Bortles responded by completing just under 70% of his throws for a season-high 330 yards. Fourette should be fine following Jacksonville’s Week 8 bye, so don’t expect Bortles to suddenly start delivering quality fantasy starts on the regular.

T.J. Yeldon was active for the first time all season, playing 23 snaps and turning 11 touches into 137 yards and a touchdown. Jacksonville seems to prefer Chris Ivory in that change-of-pace role, making Yeldon unlikely to carry the momentum over after the week off.

Allen Hurns had his first 100-yard game against Indianapolis’s injury-plagued secondary. Marquise Lee also produced his second straight quality game, but the Jags are likely to go back to their run-first approach in Week 9, so neither Jacksonville wideout can be viewed as anything more than a dart throw against a quality Cincinnati secondary.

Kansas City Chiefs 

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Tyreek Hill KC 8 6 125 1 0
Demarcus Robinson KC 7 5 69 0 1
Travis Kelce KC 5 4 33 1 0
Kareem Hunt KC 4 4 30 0 0
Demetrius Harris KC 3 2 16 0 0
C.J. Spiller KC 2 0 0 0 0
Albert Wilson KC 2 1 63 1 0
Ross Travis KC 1 1 3 0 0
Akeem Hunt KC 1 1 1 0 0
De’Anthony Thomas KC 1 1 2 0 0

 
RB Kareem Hunt extended his impressive streak of producing 100+ total yards to seven straight games to start the season, but the star rookie rusher hasn’t gotten into the end zone since Week 3. To extend his 100-yard streak to eight, Hunt faces a tough task against the top-ranked Denver defense that allows just 92 total yards-per-game to opposing backfields.

Demarcus Robinson looks like he will be the main benefactor of Chris Conley‘s absence. Robinson has led the Chiefs receiving corps in snaps in each of the past two weeks and corralled a career-best five catches and 69 receiving yards against the Raiders. After logging 36 snaps in Week 6, De’Anthony Thomas dropped to four against Oakland.

Tyreek Hill has quietly caught at least four passes in each of Kansas City’s seven games but could have problems making a big impact in Week 9 against Denver’s Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib, who combined to limit Hill to just 52 receiving yards in two games against the Chiefs last season – though Hill did score two touchdowns (1 rushing) in Denver.

Los Angeles Chargers

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Keenan Allen LAC 7 3 41 0 1
Hunter Henry LAC 5 4 73 0 1
Austin Ekeler LAC 4 4 6 1 0
Melvin Gordon LAC 2 1 6 0 0
Mike Williams LAC 2 0 0 0 1
Travis Benjamin LAC 1 1 42 1 0
Tyrell Williams LAC 1 1 11 0 0
Antonio Gates LAC 1 1 4 0 0

 
Keenan Allen‘s seven targets and three receptions were his lowest marks of the season as Chris Harris and Aqib Talib were able to keep Allen in check. Allen should rebound in Week 9 facing a New England secondary that allows 40 fantasy points-per-game to wideouts, which ranks 30th.

Hunter Henry‘s emergence continues to cause Antonio Gates to become more irrelevant. Gates played a season-low 18 snaps, which were far behind Henry’s 47 and even trailed in-line blocking tight end Sean McGrath‘s 23 snaps. Henry has 12 catches for 205 yards in LA’s past three games, while Gates has accumulated just four receptions and 43 yards.

Tyrell Williams has been held to three or fewer catches and under 30 yards in four of LA’s previous five games and was out-targeted by first-round rookie Mike Williams. For now, Williams’s role as the Chargers’ No. 2 wideout seems safe, but he could start to lose more and more snaps to Williams and Travis Benjamin.

Los Angeles Rams

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Cooper Kupp LAR 10 4 51 1 1
Robert Woods LAR 7 5 59 0 0
Sammy Watkins LAR 5 3 42 0 0
Todd Gurley II LAR 5 4 48 0 0
Tyler Higbee LAR 3 3 13 0 0
Tavon Austin LAR 2 2 15 0 0
Malcolm Brown LAR 1 1 7 0 0
Derek Carrier LAR 1 0 0 0 0

 
Cooper Kupp saw five more red zone targets and caught an 18-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. For the season, Kupp ranks fifth in the NFL with six red zone grabs on 13 targets. Kupp’s 36.1% of LA’s red zone share is also fourth in the league.

With Patrick Peterson shadowing Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods led the Rams with five receptions and 59 yards. Watkins did catch three passes – his most since Week 3 – but was limited to 42 yards by Peterson. With the Rams sitting at 5-2 atop the NFC West as they enter their bye, there’s little reason to expect Sean McVay to alter what has been a successful rotation.

Tavon Austin played a season-high 19 snaps and caught just two balls for 15 yards…Tyler Higbee has led LA in tight end snaps every week, but the Rams don’t feature a lot of throws to the position…Malcolm Brown also logged a season-best 22 snaps, but isn’t a threat to take receiving work away from Todd Gurley.

Miami Dolphins

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Jarvis Landry MIA 10 7 93 1 0
Kenny Stills MIA 9 6 85 2 1
Julius Thomas MIA 4 3 58 0 1
Anthony Fasano MIA 4 3 25 1 0
Jay Ajayi MIA 4 3 26 0 0
Damien Williams MIA 2 2 18 0 0
Leonte Carroo MIA 1 1 21 0 0

 
Jarvis Landry has a tendency to come up big when DeVante Parker is missing from Miami’s lineup. Parker (ankle) already missed practice this week and with the Dolphins facing a Thursday Night game on the road in Baltimore, there’s a good chance that Landry will get the opportunity to shine once again.

Leonte Carroo played 50 snaps in Parker’s absence and Kenny Stills set season-highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns. But with a new quarterback and facing a tough Ravens secondary that ranks 2nd against wide receivers, Miami could choose to lean more on Jay Ajayi in Week 8.

In about half a game, Matt Moore threw for 188 yards, which was more yards than the struggling Jay Cutler had accumulated in any game dating all the way back to Week 2. Cutler is expected to miss a handful of games, but it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see Moore take over as the starter for the rest of the season.

Minnesota Vikings

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Adam Thielen MIN 12 5 41 0 0
Kyle Rudolph MIN 7 5 43 0 0
Jarius Wright MIN 4 3 54 0 0
Laquon Treadwell MIN 4 3 28 0 0
Jerick McKinnon MIN 3 3 10 0 0
C.J. Ham MIN 1 1 12 0 0

 
The Vikings leaned on their defense and a solid effort from their ground game to beat the Ravens in Week 7. With a trip across the ocean to play the winless Browns in England on deck for Week 8, we might see a similar approach once again – especially if Stefon Diggs (groin) misses another game.

TE Kyle Rudolph is starting to show signs of life again, after a couple of quiet games with Case Keenum under center. In Minnesota’s past three games, Rudolph hauled in 16 balls, averaged 45 yards and caught a touchdown. Rudolph is a breakout candidate in Week 8 facing Cleveland’s apathetic tight end defense. The Browns are allowing tight ends to catch over seven passes-per-game, the worst figure in the league.

Like Rudolph, Adam Thielen is in a good position to put up big numbers in Week 8. Playing most of his snaps from the slot, Thielen draws a very exploitable matchup against Cleveland’s struggling secondary. If Stefon Diggs can’t go, Thielen should once again lead Minnesota in targets and catches.

New England Patriots

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Rob Gronkowski NE 7 3 51 0 0
Chris Hogan NE 6 4 71 0 1
James White NE 5 5 28 1 0
Brandin Cooks NE 5 4 65 1 0
Danny Amendola NE 4 3 17 0 1
Dion Lewis NE 1 1 6 0 0
Rex Burkhead NE 1 1 11 0 0

 
Among NFL running backs, James White ranks second in both targets (47) and receptions (38). While the rest of New England’s backfield has changed from week-to-week to take advantage of matchups, White’s role as the primary receiving back has held.

Tom Brady had his lowest yardage output of the season and that let to rather muted stats for New England’s pass catchers. Brandin Cooks led the club with 70 snaps but saw fewer looks than Chris Hogan and TE Rob Gronkowski. Through seven weeks, Cooks ranks as the WR7 but has the fewest receptions of any of the current top-12 fantasy wideouts.

RB Mike Gillislee got only 13 snaps for a second straight game, while Dion Lewis led the backfield with 26. Rex Burkhead saw his first action in a month and logged 11 plays.

New Orleans Saints

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Michael Thomas NO 10 7 82 0 0
Ted Ginn Jr. NO 7 7 141 0 0
Alvin Kamara NO 7 5 50 0 1
Mark Ingram NO 4 4 5 0 0
Brandon Coleman NO 3 2 31 1 0
Coby Fleener NO 3 2 22 0 0
Tommylee Lewis NO 1 0 0 0 0
Zach Line NO 1 0 0 0 1

 
With Willie Snead once again missing from the lineup, Brandon Coleman played 54 snaps and caught the only touchdown pass that Drew Brees threw in an impressive victory over Green Bay. Six Saints ended up with 2+ grabs on the day as Brees and New Orleans controlled the clock for a season-high 76 plays.

Mark Ingram enjoyed his second consecutive 100-yard rushing performance and also caught all four of his targets. Since trading Adrian Peterson, Ingram has racked up 260 total yards and three touchdowns and Alvin Kamara has chipped in 194 yards of offense.

Ted Ginn‘s best day as a Saint was also the second-highest receiving output of his career. Ginn caught passes for 18, 40, and 47 yards on the day, but all seven of his targets came in New Orleans territory. Up next. the Saints host a much-improved Chicago secondary.

New York Giants

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Evan Engram NYG 10 6 60 1 0
Roger Lewis NYG 6 1 12 0 0
Travis Rudolph NYG 6 3 32 0 0
Orleans Darkwa NYG 3 3 13 0 0
Tavarres King NYG 3 1 1 0 0
Shane Vereen NYG 3 3 2 0 0
Wayne Gallman NYG 2 2 14 0 0
Rhett Ellison NYG 1 0 0 0 1

 
At 1-6, the Giants enter the bye with little real hope of turning around a lost season. Already out Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall for the season and missing Sterling Shepard in Week 7, Eli Manning could muster only 134 yards passing against Seattle.

The only bright spot for the Giants has been TE Evan Engram, who caught a touchdown in his second consecutive game and has produced 5+ grabs in four straight. Engram should remain a huge part of New York’s passing offense once the Giants return from their bye – even when Sterling Shepard is healthy.

New York’s three main wideouts from Week  7 combined to catch only five of 15 targets for 45 yards. Both Orleans Darkwa and Wayne Gallman were more effective in the passing game than Shane Vereen, whose three receptions went or 1, 4 and (-3) yards.

New York Jets

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Austin Seferian-Jenkins NYJ 6 3 21 1 0
Matt Forte NYJ 5 5 41 0 0
Robby Anderson NYJ 5 3 35 1 0
Jeremy Kerley NYJ 3 2 25 0 1
Jermaine Kearse NYJ 3 1 29 1 0
Bilal Powell NYJ 2 2 40 0 0
Eric Tomlinson NYJ 1 1 26 0 0

 
Despite missing two games, TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins is the No. 12 tight end in PPR leagues. ASJ has caught 3+ balls in each of the five games he’s played and scored a touchdown in three consecutive contests. Up next. the Jets host Atlanta, one of the four remaining NFL clubs that have yet to allow a tight end to score a touchdown.

Bilal Powell returned after a one-week absence but was out-snapped by Matt Forte 28-21 and out-targeted 5-2. Powell got two more rushing attempts than Forte but that could change from week-to-week. The Jets seems firmly committed to a frustrating backfield committee.

Jermaine Kearse only had one reception but managed to score his fourth touchdown of the 2017 campaign.

Oakland Raiders

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Amari Cooper OAK 17 11 210 2 2
Michael Crabtree OAK 7 3 24 1 0
Jared Cook OAK 7 6 107 0 1
Seth Roberts OAK 6 1 15 0 2
DeAndre Washington OAK 4 3 7 0 1
Jalen Richard OAK 4 4 45 0 0
Cordarrelle Patterson OAK 3 1 9 0 1
Jamize Olawale OAK 1 0 0 0 0
Clive Walford OAK 1 0 0 0 0

 
Oakland’s attempt to get Amari Cooper out of his month-long slump by moving him into the slot more worked beautifully as Cooper produced a career-high 210 receiving yards and the first multi-touchdown game of his career. The 44-point PPR effort represents well over half of Cooper’s season-to-date totals.

TE Jared Cook also exploded for six grabs and 107 yards against Kansas City – both were new season highs. But this was Cook’s first game with more than 50 receiving yards since Week 1 and that lack of consistency keeps him from being anything more than a weekly streaming option.

DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard combined to catch seven of eight targets and will likely split playing time evenly in Week 8 as Marshawn Lynch serves a 1-game suspension. After Lynch was ejected against Kansas City, Richard got 26 snaps, which was one more than Washington.

Philadelphia Eagles

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Alshon Jeffery PHI 6 2 37 0 0
Nelson Agholor PHI 5 4 45 1 0
Zach Ertz PHI 5 5 89 1 0
Brent Celek PHI 2 1 3 0 0
Wendell Smallwood PHI 2 2 14 0 0
Corey Clement PHI 1 1 9 1 0
Trey Burton PHI 1 1 7 0 0
Mack Hollins PHI 1 1 64 1 0
Marcus Johnson PHI 1 0 0 0 0
Torrey Smith PHI 1 0 0 0 0

 
With four more touchdown passes, Carson Wentz now leads the league with 17. Wentz also ranks fourth with 1,852 yards and third with 196 yards rushing. All told, Wentz is on pace to throw for 4,233 yards, 39 touchdowns, nine interceptions and produce an additional 448 yards on the ground.

Zach Ertz hauled in all five of his looks for 89 more yards and his fifth touchdown, which is already a new career-high. Ertz’s red zone touchdown was the first score allowed to a tight end all season by San Francisco.

After scoring just three touchdowns in his first two seasons, breakout WR Nelson Agholor caught his fifth TD in seven games for the red-hot Eagles. When targeting Agholor, Carson Wentz has a QB-rating of 142.4 – the second highest figure in football.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Antonio Brown PIT 9 4 65 1 0
Vance McDonald PIT 3 2 37 0 1
JuJu Smith-Schuster PIT 3 2 39 1 0
Le’Veon Bell PIT 3 3 58 0 0
Martavis Bryant PIT 2 1 3 0 0
Eli Rogers PIT 2 1 10 0 0
Darrius Heyward-Bey PIT 1 1 44 0 0
Xavier Grimble PIT 1 1 12 0 0

 
The Bengals’ quality secondary did a good job limiting Pittsburgh’s receivers last week. Antonio Brown still came through for 65 yards and a score but the four receptions were tied for a season-low. Up next. Brown gets to match up with a very average Detroit secondary.

Martavis Bryant had his worst game of the season after rumors came up that Bryant has been unhappy with his role and asked for a trade. Bryant has failed to top 48 receiving yards in six of Pittsburgh’s seven games and has only one touchdown after entering the season with 15 career TDs in 21 games played.

The Steelers are starting to feature more ’12’ sets with both Jesse James and Vance McDonald, but they aren’t using both tight ends in the passing game. James played 50 snaps in Week 7 but wasn’t targeted and McDonald logged 29 snaps and dropped one of his three targets. As long as Le’Veon Bell continues to play at an elite level, the Steelers are more likely to keep using both of their tight ends as blockers more often than they will use them as route runners.

Seattle Seahawks

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Doug Baldwin SEA 12 9 92 1 0
Tyler Lockett SEA 7 4 29 0 1
Jimmy Graham SEA 6 3 51 1 2
Amara Darboh SEA 2 2 29 0 0
Thomas Rawls SEA 2 1 16 0 1
Paul Richardson SEA 2 2 61 1 0
J.D. McKissic SEA 2 2 23 0 0
Tre Madden SEA 1 1 -1 0 0
Eddie Lacy SEA 1 1 9 0 0
Luke Willson SEA 1 1 13 0 0
Nick Vannett SEA 1 1 12 0 0

 
Predictably, Jimmy Graham scored against the Giants but Graham had a lousy game overall, committing a pair of egregious drops that quite easily could have turned into a pair of additional touchdowns.

Doug Baldwin had his second-best effort of the season and first solid outing in a month, leading the Seahawks in targets, receptions, and yards. Baldwin had been bothered by a groin injury but looks to be fully healed following Seattle’s Week 6 bye. Up next for Baldwin is a solid Houston secondary.

The Seahawks are marred with an ineffective committee at running back, with both Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy getting 12 touches each in Week 7. Rawls produced 52 yards, while Lacy only managed 43. Until one back can emerge in Seattle, this is a situation to avoid in fantasy.

San Francisco 49ers

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Marquise Goodwin SF 7 4 80 0 0
Carlos Hyde SF 6 4 20 0 2
Pierre Garcon SF 6 5 49 0 0
Trent Taylor SF 5 5 39 0 0
Kendrick Bourne SF 2 0 0 0 0
George Kittle SF 2 1 16 0 0
Matt Breida SF 1 0 0 0 0
Aldrick Robinson SF 1 1 15 0 0
Cole Hikutini SF 1 1 5 0 0
Garrett Celek SF 1 1 11 0 0

 
If Kyle Shanahan truly plans to go with the “hot hand” at running back, it appears Carlos Hyde must’ve heated back up. Hyde out-snapped Matt Brieda 51-15. Hyde produced 88 yards of offense on 18 touches, while Breida took just three carries for five yards.

Widely-available on the waiver wire, Marquise Goodwin is having a pretty good season. Goodwin only played 39 snaps in Week 7 but still managed to lead the Niners in targets and receiving yards.

Earning targets for the 49ers last week: Kendrick Bourne and Cole Hikutini, who may or may not have been in a pro wrestling tag team known as The Forgettables.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Mike Evans TB 10 7 91 1 0
Cameron Brate TB 9 6 60 0 0
DeSean Jackson TB 8 5 73 0 1
O.J. Howard TB 6 6 98 2 0
Charles Sims TB 3 2 10 0 0
Adam Humphries TB 3 2 13 0 0
Doug Martin TB 3 2 31 0 0
Chris Godwin TB 1 1 5 0 0
Jacquizz Rodgers TB 1 1 9 0 0

 
Despite playing against Patrick Peterson and Tre’Davious White in back-to-back games, Mike Evans still scored a touchdown in both and led Tampa with 10 targets and seven receptions against the Bills. Evans shouldn’t have any problems producing against a solid Carolina secondary.

Tight ends really cleaned up in Week 7, as Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard combined to catch 12 of 15 targets for 158 yards. Howard actually out-snapped Brate for the second time in three games but this was the first time the rookie outplayed the veteran.

DeSean Jackson has produced five catches or a touchdown in three straight games since being shut down by the Giants in Week 4.

Tennessee Titans

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Delanie Walker TEN 10 7 63 0 0
Rishard Matthews TEN 5 3 40 0 0
Taywan Taylor TEN 4 3 45 0 0
DeMarco Murray TEN 4 3 17 0 0
Jonnu Smith TEN 3 2 22 0 1
Derrick Henry TEN 3 2 11 0 1
Eric Decker TEN 2 0 0 0 0
Eric Weems TEN 1 1 5 0 0

 
No surprise that Delaine Walker led Tennessee in looks, grabs, and yards. After the game, Walker was spotted on crutches but Mike Mularkey said it was only a bone bruise and that Walker should be ready to roll when the Titans take on Baltimore in Week 9.

Eric Decker continues to struggle and was held without a catch for the first time this season. Decker exited Week 6 with his best stats of the season and was projected to have a solid game against Cleveland before getting shut out on a mere two targets.

Only two Tennessee wide receivers have caught a touchdown pass this season, Rishard Matthews and Taywan Taylor. Oddly, two tight ends have also secured TD grabs for the Titans but leading receiver Delaine Walker has not. Walker’s lone score came on a goal line rush.

Washington Redskins

Player Team Target REC YDS TD DROP
Jordan Reed WAS 8 8 64 2 0
Chris Thompson WAS 5 5 26 1 0
Jamison Crowder WAS 5 2 28 0 0
Vernon Davis WAS 4 4 67 0 0
Terrelle Pryor Sr. WAS 4 2 14 0 1
Josh Doctson WAS 4 3 39 0 0
Ryan Grant WAS 3 3 19 0 0
Rob Kelley WAS 2 2 14 0 0
Niles Paul WAS 1 1 32 0 0

 
Jordan Reed‘s breakout game was a welcomed sight for Reed owners who suffered through six quiet weeks from the oft-injured star tight end. Vernon Davis also got in on the action, hauling in all four of his targets for a team-leading 67 yards on Monday Night Football. Next up for Reed and Davis is a Dallas defense that ranks 10th against opposing tight ends.

Chris Thompson scored his fifth touchdown this season on a 7-yard strike from Kirk Cousins. Thompson leads all NFL running backs with 366 receiving yards and is currently the RB7 in leagues that use PPR scoring.

Terrelle Pryor had his worst game of the season, playing only 30 snaps and taking a back seat to Josh Doctson, who played 54. Doctson didn’t do a lot with his four targets but could be given a chance to earn a starting spot opposite of Jamison Crowder.

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Jody Smith is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jody, check out his archive and follow him @JodySmithNFL.

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