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Fantasy Football Target Analysis: Week 8

Fantasy Football Target Analysis: Week 8

It’s hard to believe that another NFL and fantasy football season is already halfway over. Hopefully, your teams are still in contention and you are preparing to make that big push toward the playoffs and earning that coveted championship.

One of the most useful tools for fantasy owners is tracking targets each and every week. With help from our friends at Pro Football Focus, here are the target numbers from every pass thrown from Week 8 and what it impact it might have for the stretch drive.

Missing due to Week 8 byes: Arizona, Green Bay, Jacksonville, L.A. Rams, New York Giants, Tennessee

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

Atlanta Falcons

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Mohamed Sanu ATL 7 6 74 1 1
Julio Jones ATL 6 3 74 0 0
Austin Hooper ATL 5 4 47 1 1
Levine Toilolo ATL 3 2 20 0 1
Devonta Freeman ATL 2 1 20 0 1
Taylor Gabriel ATL 1 1 -3 0 0
Tevin Coleman ATL 1 1 22 0 0

 
Another lackluster performance from Julio Jones, who inexplicably has just one 100-yard game and one touchdown all season. Steve Sarkisian has somehow managed to take last year’s top offense and cause significant regressions. Halfway through 2017, Jones has dipped to WR15 and has a tough task ahead in Week 9 at Carolina.

TE Austin Hooper secured his second touchdown, but he’s not a consistent source of targets. Hooper has three games this season with single-digit receiving yards, making him a very risky pick week in and week out–especially against a quality pass defense like the Panthers.

After flashing his plus receiving skills for the first five games, Tevin Coleman has caught only two total passes in Atlanta’s past three games. Coleman did command a season-high 14 carries last week, but that’s the first time he exceeded nine carries in any game. Without that role as a pass-catcher, Coleman is hard to trust as an RB2.

Baltimore Ravens

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Jeremy Maclin BLT 5 3 53 1 1
Benjamin Watson BLT 4 2 6 1 0
Nick Boyle BLT 4 4 29 0 0
Breshad Perriman BLT 2 0 0 0 0
Alex Collins BLT 2 2 30 0 0
Javorius Allen BLT 1 1 2 0 0

 
Alex Collins is starting to emerge as a legit runner for the Ravens. Collins had his first 100-yard game and out-snapped Javorius Allen for the first time. Collins even commanded more targets than Allen, who could become irrelevant very quickly. If only a good team like Seattle had a running back like Collins…

The Ravens didn’t have much success throwing the ball before or after Joe Flacco played. Flacco is tentatively expected to return this week and Baltimore should have more success in Week 9 against Tennessee’s leaky secondary.

There’s little reason to own Breshad Perriman in any format except deep dynasty leagues. Despite playing 275 snaps, which is second among Baltimore’s wideouts, Perriman is the WR137 in PPR scoring, behind a pair of Colts standouts, Chester Rogers and Quan Bray.

Buffalo Bills

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
LeSean McCoy BUF 7 6 22 0 0
Zay Jones BUF 4 3 32 0 0
Jordan Matthews BUF 4 3 21 0 0
Andre Holmes BUF 4 3 51 1 0
Nick O’Leary BUF 3 1 5 0 0
Logan Thomas BUF 1 1 7 0 0
Mike Tolbert BUF 1 1 -2 0 0

 
Zay Jones had his best game as a pro with all of three grabs and 32 yards. For the season, Jones has racked up just 21.5 PPR points, despite playing 49 more snaps than LeSean McCoy.

Speaking of McCoy, his touchdown numbers have been off, but he’s playing excellent football and leads the Bills in almost every significant category. Among all NFL running backs, McCoy ranks fourth in targets (48) and third in receptions (38).

Jordan Matthews has just five catches and 31 yards receiving since returning to the lineup. Hampered by an unimaginative, run-first offense, Matthews is an unreliable source of weekly targets and off the radar in a short week.

Carolina Panthers

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Christian McCaffrey CAR 7 5 49 0 0
Kelvin Benjamin CAR 7 3 39 1 0
Devin Funchess CAR 6 2 11 0 0
Ed Dickson CAR 5 4 24 0 0
Curtis Samuel CAR 3 2 15 0 1
Cameron Artis-Payne CAR 1 1 2 0 0
Russell Shepard CAR 1 1 14 0 0

 
Christian McCaffrey continues to lead all running backs in both targets (66) and receptions (49) but has had very little success running the ball. Through eight Panthers games, the rookie rusher has commanded just 49 carries and is averaging a horrendous 2.3 yards-per-carry. McCaffrey’s pass-catching prowess assure he’s a solid weekly option in PPR scoring formats, but in standard leagues, he’s barely on the flex radar.

After a two-week resurgence, Cam Newton has regressed back to pedestrian passing numbers in Carolina’s past three games, where he’s averaged just 201 passing yards and thrown two touchdowns total. Newton has supplemented his output with plus rushing production, but he’ll need to get back on track as a passer if the Panthers are going to contend with the division-leading Saints.

Ed Dickson continues to be a cheap source of weekly targets and catches but offers little upside. Greg Olsen should be ready to return after Carolina’s Week 11 bye and would be a savvy pickup for fantasy owners who can afford to squeeze him onto their rosters for a couple of weeks.

Chicago Bears

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Kendall Wright CHI 6 2 23 0 0
Jordan Howard CHI 5 3 19 0 1
Dion Sims CHI 5 3 15 0 1
Tre McBride CHI 5 3 92 0 0
Tarik Cohen CHI 3 1 6 0 0
Tanner Gentry CHI 1 0 0 0 0
Daniel Brown CHI 1 1 9 0 0
Zach Miller CHI 1 0 0 0 0
Adam Shaheen CHI 1 0 0 0 0

 
Mitchell Trubisky had the most completions, attempts, and yards of his young career but was held without a touchdown for the second straight game and completed less than half of his throws. These growing pains aren’t unexpected, but Trubisky’s struggles make starting any Chicago pass-catchers an undesirable prospect.

After hauling in 24 receptions in Chicago’s first four games, Tarik Cohen has caught just one pass in each of the past four Bears games. Cohen scored against the Saints but has also averaged under two yards-per-carry since Mitchell Trubisky took over at quarterback.

Tanner Gentry has led the Bear’s receiving corps in snaps in each of the past three games but managed to catch just one pass for eight yards. No. 1 wideout Kendall Wright has caught four balls for 59 yards total over those same three games.

Cincinnati Bengals

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
A.J. Green CIN 7 3 27 1 0
Tyler Kroft CIN 6 5 46 0 0
Brandon LaFell CIN 4 4 44 0 0
Joe Mixon CIN 3 3 91 0 0
Josh Malone CIN 3 2 35 1 0

 
Joe Mixon‘s emergence as a quality pass-catcher has caused Gio Bernard‘s role to decline. Mixon has six receptions and 111 receiving yards in the past two games, while Bernard has just six total touches, including one catch for -1 yards. The Bengals are having little success on the ground due to their porous offensive line, but Mixon’s growing role as a receiver bodes well for the stretch drive.

A.J. Green had his worst game of the season in a very favorable matchup, only managing to somewhat salvage his day with a red zone touchdown. Things won’t get any easier in Week 9 as Green and the Bengals travel to Jacksonville to face the league’s top cornerback tandem in A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey.

TE Tyler Kroft led the Bengals with five grabs, his fourth straight game with 4+ receptions. Still widely available on the waiver wire, Kroft has become a reliable source of weekly targets and catches and enters Week 9 as the No. 16 scoring tight end in PPR formats.

Cleveland Browns

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
David Njoku CLE 7 2 19 0 1
Ricardo Louis CLE 6 2 42 0 0
Isaiah Crowell CLE 6 4 54 0 1
Duke Johnson CLE 5 4 10 0 0
Bryce Treggs CLE 3 1 12 0 0
Seth DeValve CLE 3 1 0 0 1
Matthew Dayes CLE 1 1 15 0 0
Rashard Higgins CLE 1 1 14 0 0

 
Cleveland heads into Week 9 winless. Deshone Kizer had a respectable showing against one of the league’s top defenses. Kizer only threw for 179 yards but rushed for a touchdown and avoided throwing an interception for the first time. Kizer’s limitations will prevent any of the Browns’ pass-catchers from being used in fantasy.

Duke Johnson left the game early with a concussion but has already cleared the league’s concussion protocol. The real story out of Cleveland’s backfield was Isaiah Crowell‘s performance as both a rusher and receiver. Crowell scored his first touchdown of the season from 26 yards out and also caught four of six targets for a team-high 54 yards. Like all Browns, 2017 has been a disappointment for Crowell, but he heads into the bye with some momentum that will hopefully lead to more opportunities in the season’s second half.

Considering Cleveland’s dire need for wide receivers, Corey Coleman could be a solid waiver wire add for squads who can float a roster spot for another 2-3 weeks. Coleman, who put up a 5/53/1 split in Week 1, is Cleveland’s undisputed No. 1 wideout and should be eligible to start practicing during the Browns Week 9 bye.

Dallas Cowboys

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Dez Bryant DAL 6 4 39 0 1
Jason Witten DAL 5 3 31 0 0
Cole Beasley DAL 3 2 8 0 0
Terrance Williams DAL 3 2 36 0 0
Ezekiel Elliott DAL 2 1 4 0 0
Geoff Swaim DAL 1 1 18 0 0

 
Now that we know that RB Ezekiel Elliott will be out until the fantasy playoffs, it’s safe to assume that the Cowboys will start relying on Dak Prescott and the passing attack more than ever. That will lead to an increase in targets for Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and Cole Beasley.

As for the backfield, it sounds like Alfred Morris will be given the first crack at the lead role, but Darren McFadden, who rushed for 1,089 yards and caught 40 passes in 2015, has had success with the Cowboys and is far better as a receiver.

With 14 red zone targets, Dez Bryant‘s 41.2% share ranks first in the NFL and will likely only increase in the wake of Elliott’s six-game suspension. Bryant has faced a brutal run of elite cornerbacks but is about to enter a much easier stretch of games and has a real chance at being a weekly WR1 over the next six weeks.

Denver Broncos

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Demaryius Thomas DEN 8 5 66 0 0
Bennie Fowler DEN 6 2 35 0 2
A.J. Derby DEN 4 2 21 1 1
Devontae Booker DEN 3 3 14 0 0
Jordan Taylor DEN 3 1 8 0 0
Cody Latimer DEN 3 2 15 0 0
Jeff Heuerman DEN 2 1 11 0 0
Virgil Green DEN 2 1 16 0 1
C.J. Anderson DEN 1 1 7 0 0

 
Demaryius Thomas has now gone 13 straight games without a touchdown and produced only two 100-yard performances during the drought. Trevor Siemian, who has been downright awful after a fast start, has only accumulated a 55.4 QB rating when targeting Thomas. Perhaps a switch to Paxton Lynch will help resurrect Thomas’s fading fantasy value.

Emmanuel Sanders (ankle) missed his second straight game and was replaced in the lineup by Bennie Fowler, who put up a miserable line of two grabs, 35 yards, and two ugly drops. Sanders is expected to be ready for Week 9 at Philadelphia, where he’d have a solid matchup with the Eagles’ bottom-10 defense against wide receivers.

The Broncos continue to utilize a rotation of three tight ends, but A.J. Derby seems to be the option they prefer the most as a receiver. Virgil Green is used as more of an in-line blocker, while Derby has accumulated eight grabs for 87 yards and a score in Denver’s last two games.

Detroit Lions

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Marvin Jones DET 11 6 128 0 1
Golden Tate DET 8 7 86 0 0
TJ Jones DET 7 4 88 0 0
Eric Ebron DET 6 2 58 0 1
Ameer Abdullah DET 3 3 11 0 0
Darren Fells DET 3 1 12 0 0
Theo Riddick DET 2 2 24 0 0
Dwayne Washington DET 1 1 4 0 0
Michael Roberts DET 1 0 0 0 1

 
Matthew Stafford had an impressive showing, putting up 423 passing yards on Pittsburgh’s vaunted secondary, but Detroit’s inability to run the ball and struggles in the red zone ultimately torpedoed the offense. There have only been eight instances in NFL history that a starting quarterback has eclipsed 400 passing yards without throwing a touchdown. Stafford has now done it twice.

Both Marvin Jones and T.J. Jones out-snapped Golden Tate, who may have been limited in his first game back from a shoulder ailment. Week 8 was the third consecutive game with six receptions for Jones, who has averaged 11 targets-per-game in Detroit’s past three.

Another Eric Ebron-like performance for Eric Ebron, who corralled only two of his six looks and racked up another drop. Ebron did have a nifty 44-yard catch-and-run but continues to be an inefficient player that is looking more and more like a first-round bust.

Houston Texans

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
DeAndre Hopkins HOU 11 8 224 1 0
Will Fulle HOU 8 5 125 2 0
Bruce Ellington HOU 4 1 13 0 0
Lamar Miller HOU 3 3 19 1 0
Ryan Griffin HOU 2 1 10 0 0

 
Rookie of the year candidate Deshaun Watson continues to dazzle, throwing for a career-high 402 yards and becoming the first player in NFL history to surpass 400 passing yards, run for 55+ and account for 4 touchdowns in a game. Watson has led Houston to 30+ points in five consecutive games and should have no problem keeping that streak alive in Week 9 against a porous Indianapolis defense.

DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller both lead the NFL with seven touchdown receptions but have accomplished this feat in wildly different manners. Hopkins is third in the league in targets (76) and receiving yards (606) while Fuller ranks second with 210 air yards and has turned over half of his receptions into touchdowns.

With D’Onta Foreman limited to just one snap, Lamar Miller got a season-high 24 touches against Seattle and scored a rushing touchdown and added another via the pass. Up next for Miller and the Texans is a Colts run D that has allowed the most rushing (8) and total touchdowns (10) to opposing running backs.

Indianapolis Colts

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Jack Doyle IND 13 12 121 1 0
T.Y. Hilton IND 7 2 15 0 1
Marlon Mack IND 5 3 36 1 0
Kamar Aiken IND 5 2 33 0 2
Frank Gore IND 4 4 19 0 0
Chester Rogers IND 2 2 9 0 0

 
TE Jack Doyle is quietly the TE5 in PPR leagues, despite missing a game. At tight end, only Travis Kelce (41) has received more targets over the past five weeks than Doyle’s 39. As the only reliable option behind T.Y. Hilton, Doyle should continue to play a major role for the Colts, especially with Andrew Luck seemingly nowhere near returning.

Marlon Mack played a season-high 39 snaps and got a career-best 14 touches, including a 24-yard touchdown reception. Frank Gore was much more efficient, setting new season-bests in both rushing yards (82) and receptions (4). Both Indy backs will face a difficult task in Week 9 against a Houston defense that ranks second in the league, limiting opposing backfields to just 73 rushing yards-per-game.

T.Y. Hilton had another frustrating Sunday but is in a good spot to bounce back against a Texans squad that he has torched. In five career games at NRG Stadium, Hilton has averaged 112 yards receiving and scored five touchdowns.

Kansas City Chiefs 

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Travis Kelce KC 10 7 133 1 1
Tyreek Hill KC 5 2 38 0 0
Kareem Hunt KC 4 3 22 0 0
Demetrius Harris KC 2 0 0 0 2
Demarcus Robinson KC 1 1 5 0 0

 
Kareem Hunt‘s streak of seven consecutive games with over 100 scrimmage yards came to an end against the formidable Broncos defense. Hunt should bounce back in Week 9 facing a Dallas defense that permits 139 yards-per-game to running backs.

Travis Kelce was the only credible receiving option in Week 9, rumbling through Denver’s secondary for his third 100+ yard day of the season. Kelce now leads all NFL tight ends with 44 grabs and 556 receiving yards.

Tyreek Hill was held in check by Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. but should be in a nice spot to rebound in Week 9 facing a Dallas secondary that has yielded the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers so far in 2017.

Los Angeles Chargers

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Travis Benjamin LAC 8 5 64 1 0
Tyrell Williams LAC 6 1 24 0 1
Keenan Allen LAC 4 4 61 0 0
Melvin Gordon LAC 2 1 7 0 0
Antonio Gates LAC 2 2 25 0 0
Hunter Henry LAC 2 2 11 0 0
Austin Ekeler LAC 1 1 13 0 0

 
After three straight games with 57+ snaps, three grabs and 42+ yards receiving, Hunter Henry had a poor showing against an improving, but statistically lousy New England secondary. Henry’s two receptions and 11 yards were his lowest output since getting shutout in two of the season’s first three games.

Tyrell Williams has managed to catch just one pass in three of the past four Chargers games. For the season, Williams now comes in as the WR51 in PPR leagues and it’s hard to see him taking a big leap forward with Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon, Travis Benjamin, Hunter Henry, Antonio Gates and Mike Williams all vying for targets each week.

Travis Benjamin scored for the second straight game but was much more involved in the offense, leading the Chargers in targets and receptions against New England. Unfortuanely, Benjamin just isn’t getting enough weekly snaps to be anything more than a boom-or-bust, touchdown dependant dart throw.

Miami Dolphins

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Jarvis Landry MIA 12 5 33 0 1
Kenny Stills MIA 9 5 65 0 0
Leonte Carroo MIA 7 6 48 0 0
Jay Ajayi MIA 4 4 18 0 0
Julius Thomas MIA 3 2 2 0 0
Anthony Fasano MIA 2 2 11 0 0
Damien Williams MIA 2 1 -1 0 0
Jakeem Grant MIA 1 0 0 0 1

 
After another miserable, offensive showing by the offense, Adam Gase traded RB Jay Ajayi to Philadelphia for a fourth-round pick and was supposedly shopping free-agent-to-be, Jarvis Landry. At the halfway point of the 2017 season, the Dolphins rank dead last with just 252.4 yards of offense-per-game.

With Ajayi now and Eagle, Miami will turn to a backfield committee of Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams. Williams has out-snapped Drake 82-45 so far this season but Drake is expected to get more carries while Williams should play a bigger role on passing downs.

Leonte Carroo had played 50 snaps in consecutive games that DeVante Parker (ankle) has missed. With Parker expected to suit up against Oakland, Carroo will be unlikely to make any sort of impact in an offense that has struggled to move the ball and just traded away their leading rusher.

Minnesota Vikings

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Adam Thielen MIN 10 5 98 1 1
Kyle Rudolph MIN 7 6 27 1 0
Jerick McKinnon MIN 6 6 72 0 0
Stefon Diggs MIN 6 4 27 0 0
Laquon Treadwell MIN 4 1 21 0 0
David Morgan MIN 3 3 28 0 0
Latavius Murray MIN 1 1 8 0 0

 
Adam Thielen has been working 9 to 5 in each of Minnesota’s first eight games. Thielen has caught nine passes in two games and exactly five in each of the other five for the 6-2 Vikings. With 628 receiving yards, Thielen is second in the NFL and enters the bye as the fantasy WR4.

After a small lull when Case Keenum first took the starting reigns, Kyle Rudolph has caught 5+ balls in four straight games, including a pair of touchdowns. Rudolph has yet to hit 50+ receiving yards but has become a reliable source of catches and touchdowns.

Stefon Diggs looked healthy against the Browns and should be a weekly WR2 once the Vikings return from their Week 9 bye. Despite missing two games, Diggs is still a top-20 scoring fantasy receiver this season.

New England Patriots

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Rob Gronkowski NE 8 5 57 1 2
Chris Hogan NE 7 5 60 0 0
Brandin Cooks NE 7 5 26 0 0
Rex Burkhead NE 7 7 68 0 0
James White NE 6 5 85 0 0
Danny Amendola NE 4 2 14 0 0
Dion Lewis NE 2 2 10 0 0

 
Chris Hogan took a hard hit and injured his shoulder against the Chargers. It’s unclear how long Hogan could miss but he will not require surgery, which is a positive development. The Patriots also have a bye in Week 9, so Hogan will be afforded a full two weeks of rest before New England’s next game in Denver.

Brandin Cooks ranks in the top-10 in receiving yards, yards-per-target, and air yards, but has commanded just three red zone looks all season. All three of those targets occurred in the end zone but Cooks is unlikely to suddenly make a leap in touchdowns when he’s well behind Rob Gronkowski, Chris Hogan and James White for those valuable red zone targets.

Mike Gillislee has played just 13 snaps in three consecutive games and has made next to no impact after a Week 6 fumble. Bill Belichick is using Gillislee in the exact role he employed LeGarrette Blount last season–a touchdown-dependant short-yardage specialist with zero role in the passing game. Without those goal-line runs, Gillislee essentially has no value.

New Orleans Saints

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Michael Thomas NO 8 7 77 0 0
Mark Ingram NO 6 6 24 0 0
Josh Hill NO 4 3 29 0 0
Ted Ginn NO 3 2 68 0 0
Alvin Kamara NO 3 3 48 0 0
Brandon Coleman NO 1 1 54 0 0
Coby Fleener NO 1 1 -1 0 0

 
Since trading Adrian Peterson, the Saints have become a far more effective running team and Brees has thrown for more than two touchdowns just once all season. Tampa Bay’s league-worst secondary offers an intriguing matchup, but as long as Mark Ingram can rattle off 100-yard games on the ground, the New Orleans passing attack could remain rather subdued.

There’s no reason to hold on to Coby Fleener if you’re still rostering him in any league. Fleener has all of six grabs in the past six weeks and has been out-snapped by both Josh Hill and Michael Hoomanawanui in three consecutive games.

After logging just four snaps last week, it looks as if Brandon Coleman may be the Saints slot receiver, at least for the time being. Coleman has finished first or second in snaps among the Saints’ receiving corps in six of New Orleans’s seven games.

New York Jets

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Matt Forte NYJ 7 6 45 0 0
Robby Anderson NYJ 6 6 104 1 0
Austin Seferian-Jenkins NYJ 5 5 28 0 0
Jermaine Kearse NYJ 5 2 14 0 1
Bilal Powell NYJ 3 3 28 0 0
Jeremy Kerley NYJ 2 1 7 0 0
Eric Tomlinson NYJ 1 1 20 1 0

 
You’ve got to hand it to 38-year-old Josh McCown who is having a career-best season. McCown entered his 14h professional season with a 2-20 record in his last 22 starts but has completed over 70% of his passes, accounted for 14 total touchdowns and sits as the fantasy QB9 halfway through the 2017 season.

Matt Forte has yet to receive double-digit carries in any game but remains fantasy-relevant thanks to 19 receptions and 145 receiving yards over his past three games. Bilal Powell blew up for 163 yards against Jacksonville but has averaged just 2.9 yards-per-carry in his other six games.

Robbie Anderson has scored in two straight games and currently ranks as the fantasy WR27. Anderson has gotten at least four targets and made 2+ receptions in every Jets game.

Oakland Raiders

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
DeAndre Washington OAK 10 8 62 1 1
Amari Cooper OAK 10 5 48 0 0
Michael Crabtree OAK 10 5 83 0 0
Jalen Richard OAK 5 5 35 0 0
Jared Cook OAK 5 4 57 0 1
Cordarrelle Patterson OAK 4 3 7 0 0
Lee Smith OAK 3 1 21 0 0

 
Derek Carr distributed his 49 attempts very evenly, with three Raiders getting 10 looks and two others commanding five. With Marshawn Lynch sidelined, Carr threw a whopping 15 passes to his running backs, including his only touchdown on the day.

No real surprise to see Amari Cooper regress after a huge Week 7 performance. Buffalo boasts a terrific tandem of cornerbacks in Tre’Davious White and E.J. Gaines, who combined to limit Cooper to a 50% catch rate and just 48 yards. Cooper should find a much more appealing matchup in Miami on Sunday Night Football.

TE Jared Cook has only one touchdown reception but is the No. 10-scoring tight end in PPR leagues due to catching 3+ ball in seven of the eight games that Oakland has played.

Philadelphia Eagles

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Alshon Jeffery PHI 6 2 62 1 0
Zach Ertz PHI 6 4 34 1 1
Nelson Agholor PHI 3 3 26 0 0
Mack Hollins PHI 3 2 30 0 0
Torrey Smith PHI 2 0 0 0 0
Brent Celek PHI 2 1 14 0 0
Trey Burton PHI 2 2 21 0 0
Wendell Smallwood PHI 1 1 9 0 0
LeGarrette Blount PHI 1 1 4 0 0
Corey Clement PHI 1 0 0 0 0

 
Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery have combined to catch eight touchdowns but both could be severely limited this week against a Denver secondary that ranks second in the NFL, allowing a total of only 95 receiving yards-per-game to opposing wide receivers.

Zach Ertz leads all NFL tight ends with 64 targets and six touchdowns. Ertz has been so impressive that if you lumped his numbers in with all of the wide receivers, Ertz would rank as the WR3 halfway through the 2017 NFL season.

Corey Clement led the Eagles in rushing with 54 yards on 10 carries. LeGarrette Blount struggled to 3.0 yards-per-tote and should be relegated to the bench once Jay Ajayi is familiar with Philadelphia’s playbook.

Pittsburgh Steelers

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
JuJu Smith-Schuster PIT 10 7 193 1 1
Antonio Brown PIT 9 5 70 0 0
Jesse James PIT 3 2 42 0 0
Le’Veon Bell PIT 3 2 5 0 0
Justin Hunter PIT 3 1 7 0 0
Eli Rogers PIT 2 0 0 0 0
Darrius Heyward-Bey PIT 1 0 0 0 0

 
With Martavis Bryant benched, Justin Hunter played for the first time in three games but saw just one look out of his 20 snaps. Eli Rogers also played more than he’s played since Week 3 but made no impact.

The obvious benefactor from Bryant’s benching was JuJu Smith-Schuster, who set career-highs in every category and caught a spectacular 97-yard touchdown where he simply outran Detroit’s safeties. Smith-Schuster has made 2+ receptions in every Steelers’ game since Week 2 and should be a weekly WR3/flex play at worst.

Despite his rather innocuous numbers, Antonio Brown still leads the league in targets, receptions and receiving yards. If the Steelers can get Brown’s touchdown totals back up after their Week 9 bye, Brown will finish as the overall WR1 for the fourth straight season.

San Francisco 49ers

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Carlos Hyde SF 9 4 22 0 2
Matt Breida SF 6 4 39 1 1
Pierre Garcon SF 4 2 17 0 0
Marquise Goodwin SF 3 0 0 0 0
George Kittle SF 3 2 22 0 0
Trent Taylor SF 3 3 33 0 0
Garrett Celek SF 2 1 24 0 0
Aldrick Robinson SF 2 0 0 0 0
Cole Hikutini SF 1 1 10 0 0
Kendrick Bourne SF 1 0 0 0 0

 
The 49ers traded a 2nd-round pick for QB Jimmy Garoppolo who will replace C.J. Beathard as soon as he can become comfortable with Kyle Shanahan’s complex playbook. Garoppolo should bring a welcomed boost to all of San Francisco’s pass catchers.

Pierre Garçon ranks eighth in the league with 67 targets but has yet to score his first touchdown. In fact, only three wide receivers in the top-30 in targets have yet to find the end zone and two of them play for San Francisco–Garçon and Marquise Goodwin.

49ers quarterbacks have thrown only two touchdowns to wide receivers all season. Trent Taylor and Aldrick Robinson have scored one touchdown each, while Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin have combined for 791 scoreless plays.

Seattle Seahawks

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Doug Baldwin SEA 10 6 54 0 0
Tyler Lockett SEA 8 6 121 0 0
Paul Richardson SEA 7 6 105 2 0
Jimmy Graham SEA 5 4 39 2 0
J.D. McKissic SEA 2 1 6 0 1
Tre Madden SEA 1 1 66 0 0
Luke Willson SEA 1 0 0 0 1
Nick Vannett SEA 1 1 8 0 0
Tanner McEvoy SEA 1 1 53 0 0
Thomas Rawls SEA 1 0 0 0 1

 
We may never see another game where Doug Baldwin leads the Seahawks in targets but finishes fourth on the team in receiving yards. Baldwin was one of the few Seattle players who didn’t go off against the Texans, who allowed Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson to both exceed 100 yards receiving.

Seattle’s running backs had no success against the Texans on the ground or via the pass. All told, Thomas Rawls, J.D. McKissic, and Eddie Lacy combined to rush 16 times for five yards and catch one of three targets for six yards. Fullback Tre Madden caught his lone target for 66 yards.

Paul Richardson led the Seahawks in snaps (56) and nearly caught a third touchdown from seven yards out in the fourth quarter. The play was called back due to a Thomas Rawls chop block, but Richardson quietly now ranks as the WR26.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Mike Evans TB 10 5 60 0 2
DeSean Jackson TB 8 3 37 0 0
Adam Humphries TB 6 4 26 0 1
Cameron Brate TB 5 4 64 0 0
Chris Godwin TB 3 1 8 0 0
Doug Martin TB 2 1 4 0 1
O.J. Howard TB 2 2 16 0 0
Jacquizz Rodgers TB 1 1 -5 0 0

 
Mike Evans had a pair of uncharacteristic drops and never could get going against Carolina’s top-10 pass defense. Evans is in a good spot to bounce back in Week 10 as the Bucs travel to New Orleans.

TE Cameron Brate has produced double-digit fantasy scores in six straight games and is currently the No. 4 fantasy tight end. Despite the presence of dynamic rookie O.J. Howard, Brate is proving to be a legitimate threat, especially in the red zone.

Doug Martin once again dominated snaps and touches for the Bucs, but Martin is struggling to find running room behind Tampa’s struggling offensive line. In his last three games, Martin has struggled to a 3.3 yards-per-carry number while also committing four drops.

Washington Redskins

PLAYER TEAM TARGET REC YDS TD DROPS
Jamison Crowder WAS 12 9 123 0 0
Chris Thompson WAS 9 8 76 0 0
Ryan Grant WAS 7 5 38 0 2
Vernon Davis WAS 4 2 20 0 1
Josh Doctson WAS 3 1 1 1 1
Jordan Reed WAS 1 1 5 0 0
Terrelle Pryor WAS 1 0 0 0 0
Rob Kelley WAS 1 0 0 0 0

 
Terrelle Pryor played a season-low 19 snaps and was unable to haul in his only target, a high throw on the sideline. Jay Gruden is trying to give Josh Doctson the opportunity to run away with the starting job, but Doctson only made one catch for a one-yard score.

Oft-injured TE Jordan Reed (hamstring) followed up his two-score breakout campaign with five yards and an injury that is expected to keep him out at least one week. Vernon Davis would be an obvious candidate for an increased role while Reed is sidelined.

Jamison Crowder had his best game of the season and should be in for an increased role with Jordan Reed out of the lineup. Unfortunately, the Redskins travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks stingy secondary, making Crowder highly likely to regress in Week 9.

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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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