Skip to main content

Fantasy Football Target Analysis: Week 2

Fantasy Football Target Analysis: Week 2

Opportunity is the basis of value in sports, and in fantasy football, targets reign supreme. Take Week 2 for example. Including just the Sunday games, 12 quarterbacks exceeded 300 passing yards, which led to 14 players surpassing 100 yards receiving. Meanwhile, only three running backs hit the century mark in rushing. This is a passing league and targets matter.

Analyzing all of the previous week’s passes is a big task but one that is crucial for understanding which players are commanding those all-important targets and determining how it can impact fantasy football, not only for this week but for the rest of the season.

Let’s break down all of the passing targets from Week 2 and see how we can use that data to our advantage.

Check out target data for the entire season partner-arrow

Arizona Cardinals

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Ricky Seals-Jones ARZ 6 4 17 0 0
Christian Kirk ARZ 5 4 27 0 0
Chase Edmonds ARZ 5 5 15 0 0
Larry Fitzgerald ARZ 4 3 28 0 0
Chad Williams ARZ 3 0 0 0 0
David Johnson ARZ 2 1 3 0 0
J.J. Nelson ARZ 1 0 0 0 0
Derrick Coleman ARZ 0 0 0 0 0

Sam Bradford has been awful through two games and the Cardinals have not been able to mount any credible passing offense. Larry Fitzgerald exited Week 2 with a hamstring injury and did not return. No other Arizona pass-catcher was able to step up and if Fitzgerald is unable to suit up in Week 3, fantasy footballers should fade the entirety of the Cardinals passing attack.

David Johnson is off to a sluggish start and only caught one meaningless pass against the Rams. Arizona’s punchless passing game is allowing teams to bottle up Johnson, who is averaging 3.9 yards-per-carry, at the line of scrimmage and neutralize his all-around ability. Expect more of the same against the Bears in Week 3.

Through two starts, Chad Williams has been targeted five times but has yet to make a reception. Christian Kirk got five targets in Week 2 alone and caught four balls. Considering the overall state of Arizona’s passing game, there’s no reason to hold onto Williams.

Atlanta Falcons

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Julio Jones ATL 8 5 64 0 1
Calvin Ridley ATL 5 4 64 1 1
Austin Hooper ATL 5 5 59 1 0
Tevin Coleman ATL 4 4 18 0 0
Mohamed Sanu ATL 2 2 19 0 0
Ito Smith ATL 1 1 8 0 0
Marvin Hall ATL 1 1 30 0 0
Logan Paulsen ATL 1 1 10 0 0

The Panthers did a solid overall job containing Julio Jones, who had a modest five grabs for 64 yards. Jones ranks third in the NFL with 26 targets through two games but has caught only 58% of those looks. If Calvin Ridley, who had a strong outing, can emerge as a consistent threat, it will cause opponents to ease the attention that Jones commands and should help with that efficiency.

Devonta Freeman is expected to miss the next two-to-three games, which makes Tevin Coleman the main running back and puts rookie Ito Smith in Coleman’s old supporting role. Coleman took advantage of that opportunity, becoming one of only three running backs to surpass 100 rushing yards on Sunday. He also caught all four of his targets and should remain a borderline RB1 as long as Freeman is sidelined.

Austin Hooper is off to a fast start. He ranks second on the club in targets (9) and receptions (8) and is one of two Atlanta pass-catchers to score a touchdown this season. Hooper isn’t a reliable weekly fantasy option but he does offer some streaming appeal in Week 3 as the Falcons host a Saints defense that has struggled so far in 2018.

Baltimore Ravens

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
John Brown BAL 10 4 92 1 1
Michael Crabtree BAL 10 5 56 0 1
Willie Snead BAL 7 5 54 0 0
Javorius Allen BAL 6 5 36 0 0
Alex Collins BAL 4 3 55 0 0
Mark Andrews BAL 4 3 17 1 0
Maxx Williams BAL 3 3 31 0 0
Nick Boyle BAL 3 2 26 0 0
Chris Moore BAL 3 2 9 0 0

John Brown only caught four of 10 looks but is off to a fast start, scoring a touchdown in each of Baltimore’s first two contests. Brown has been used in the red zone as well as targeted deep downfield. Still widely available on waiver wires, Brown has a good chance to end the season as a WR3 and should be added in all formats.

We won’t see many 55-attempt games from Joe Flacco, but the first two games show a similar pattern of Brown, Michael Crabtree, and Willie Snead all commanding a relatively even distribution of targets. Crabtree leads the way with 16 looks, with Brown and Snead tied at 13.

The Ravens seem content to use two running backs but Javorius Allen seems to be more valuable in the receiving game. Allen has caught five passes in each of Baltimore’s first two games and may actually be the preferred runner in short yardage situations as well. As long as he keeps getting double-digit touches, Allen has standalone value as an RB2 in PPR formats.

Buffalo Bills

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Marcus Murphy BUF 5 1 7 0 1
LeSean McCoy BUF 4 4 29 0 0
Andre Holmes BUF 4 1 19 0 1
Jason Croom BUF 4 2 7 0 0
Kelvin Benjamin BUF 3 2 19 1 0
Zay Jones BUF 3 2 63 0 0
Charles Clay BUF 3 2 29 0 0
Chris Ivory BUF 2 1 30 0 0
Robert Foster BUF 2 1 11 0 0
Patrick DiMarco BUF 1 1 24 0 0
Logan Thomas BUF 1 1 7 0 0

Buffalo’s offense was marginally better with Josh Allen under center but the vast majority of his attempts were short, innocuous throws to backs and tight ends. With LeSean McCoy reportedly nursing fractured ribs, it’s hard to envision the Bills having any success moving the ball in Minnesota.

If McCoy is limited, both Chris Ivory and Marcus Murphy would be involved. Murphy was the recipient of a team-leading five targets against the Chargers but only caught one pass. Ivory can catch a little but would most likely be the main runner and short-yardage option.

Zay Jones leads the entire Buffalo skill position players offense with 111 snaps through two weeks. He’s also led the team in receiving yards in back-to-back weeks to open the season. Jones hasn’t done much with his eight targets but it looks like he’ll be a real part of the Bills’ weekly gameplan.

Carolina Panthers

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Christian McCaffrey CAR 14 14 102 0 0
Devin Funchess CAR 9 7 77 0 0
Jarius Wright CAR 7 5 62 1 1
Torrey Smith CAR 7 3 33 1 0
Ian Thomas CAR 3 2 10 0 1
D.J. Moore CAR 2 1 51 1 0
C.J. Anderson CAR 2 0 0 0 2
Alex Armah CAR 0 0 0 0 0

Christian McCaffrey was one of three NFL running backs to rack up 14 receptions in Week 2 and now ranks second in the NFL with 20 receptions. Despite talks of McCaffrey getting 20 carries-per-game, he is averaging only nine totes through two weeks, but the Panthers are likely better off keeping him fresh by continuing to feature McCaffrey as a receiver first.

Devin Funchess is going to benefit from the absence of Greg Olsen for the next four-to-six weeks. That was evident in Week 2 as Funchess jumped from four to nine targets and from three to seven grabs. His stats aren’t overwhelming, so now could be a good time to send out trade inquiries to Funchess owners who are frustrated at the lack of flash numbers.

Jarius Wright is comfortably sitting in second among Carolina’s wideouts in both targets (11) and receptions (8.) He’s not on the fantasy radar yet but it’s worth noting that he is ahead of Torrey Smith in both categories.

Chicago Bears

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Allen Robinson CHI 14 10 83 0 0
Taylor Gabriel CHI 7 4 30 0 0
Trey Burton CHI 4 4 20 1 0
Jordan Howard CHI 4 3 33 0 0
Anthony Miller CHI 3 2 11 1 1
Joshua Bellamy CHI 1 1 6 0 0

Tarik Cohen had four rushes for eight yards and left the game late with an ankle injury. If Cohen has to miss time, it will mean even more touches for Jordan Howard, who has looked quite good as a pass catcher so far. Howard has reeled in eight of nine targets so far in 2018.

Allen Robinson didn’t do a lot of damage with his 10 grabs that went for just 83 yards. Mitchell Trubisky isn’t pressing the ball downfield so far and has accumulated an awful 5.4 yards-per-attempt figure in the Bears’ first two games. While it’s good to see Robinson as the clear No. 1 wideout, Trubisky is going to have to stop relying on short dump-offs for Robinson to enter WR1 territory.

Taylor Gabriel has been second in targets among Chicago’s wideouts in both games. Gabriel has now caught nine balls but accumulated just 55 receiving yards. That’s an average of just 6.1 yards-per-catch.

Cincinnati Bengals

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
A.J. Green CIN 9 5 69 3 0
Tyler Boyd CIN 9 6 91 1 0
C.J. Uzomah CIN 4 3 45 0 1
Giovani Bernard CIN 4 4 15 0 0
Tyler Eifert CIN 4 2 23 0 1
John Ross CIN 4 1 8 0 1
Tyler Kroft CIN 2 2 11 0 0
Joe Mixon CIN 1 1 3 0 0

A.J. Green only caught five passes against Baltimore but made them count by scoring the first three-touchdown game of his career. Green now leads the NFL with four touchdowns through two weeks and gets a choice Week 3 matchup with a Carolina secondary that ranks 25th, surrendering 18.6 fantasy points-per-game to opposing wideouts.

It might be time to make a waiver claim on Tyler Boyd, who has had a pretty solid role in Cincinnati’s offense in the first two games. In the opener, Boyd put up a 4/3/26/0 line but busted out against the Ravens, catching six of nine targets for 91 yards and a touchdown. Boyd has played 81% of the Bengals’ snaps so far, compared to 62% for John Ross.

Giovani Bernard will probably be the most popular waiver wire add for Week 3, as he’ll play close to a three-down, workhorse role while Joe Mixon (knee) is out for the next two-to-four weeks. The last time Mixon played against the Panthers, he carried 18 times for 137 yards and a touchdown. He should also be good for four or five targets out of the backfield.

Cleveland Browns

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Jarvis Landry CLE 7 5 69 0 0
Rashard Higgins CLE 7 5 47 0 1
David Njoku CLE 6 4 20 0 1
Antonio Callaway CLE 4 3 81 1 0
Darren Fells CLE 2 2 15 0 0
Duke Johnson CLE 2 2 7 0 0
Carlos Hyde CLE 1 1 7 0 0
Nick Chubb CLE 0 0 0 0 0

The Saints did a solid job limiting Jarvis Landry to the good, but not great numbers that we were accustomed to during most of Landry’s stint with the Dolphins. Landry still tied for the team lead with seven looks and five catches and should be in a good position to rebound Week 3 at home against a suspect New York Jets secondary.

Antonio Callaway will now take over the spot vacated by Josh Gordon’s departure. Callaway flashed a little of that big-play potential, making a dynamic 47-yard touchdown grab to tie the Saints late in the fourth quarter. As long as Tyrod Taylor is willing to stand in the pocket and target his wideouts, Callaway could have WR4/5 value for the remainder of the season.

Duke Johnson has only caught three of seven targets in Cleveland’s first two contests. Long a “zero RB” standout for his pass-catching prowess, Johnson has next to zero fantasy value if he doesn’t become a bigger part of the Browns’ passing game soon. Up next, the Browns get a short week to turn around and host a Jets defense that has allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to running backs so far in 2018.

Dallas Cowboys

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Ezekiel Elliott DAL 5 5 10 0 0
Deonte Thompson DAL 5 4 33 0 0
Cole Beasley DAL 3 2 13 0 0
Tavon Austin DAL 2 2 79 1 0
Michael Gallup DAL 2 1 5 0 1
Rico Gathers DAL 2 0 0 0 0
Allen Hurns DAL 1 1 9 0 0
Terrance Williams DAL 1 1 12 0 0

For the second week in a row, the Dallas receiving corps has posted rather meek statistics. Deonte Thompson got five looks in both games but hasn’t made much impact. Cole Beasley cooled off after a strong opener and no other Dallas wideout has surpassed three targets.

After leading the Dallas tight ends with three targets in Week 1, Geoff Swaim got no looks in Week 2. The only Cowboys’ tight end who was even targeted was Rico Gathers, who was unable to secure either of his two targets. The Cowboys seem fully content to replace Jason Witten’s considerable role with an unpredictable committee of mediocrity, making the entire situation one to avoid for fantasy purposes.

Denver Broncos

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Demaryius Thomas DEN 11 5 18 0 2
Courtland Sutton DEN 6 1 9 0 1
Jake Butt DEN 5 4 48 0 0
Emmanuel Sanders DEN 4 4 85 0 0
Jeff Heuerman DEN 3 2 10 0 0
Tim Patrick DEN 2 1 26 0 0
Phillip Lindsay DEN 1 1 4 0 0
Royce Freeman DEN 1 0 0 0 0
Andy Janovich DEN 1 1 11 0 0
Devontae Booker DEN 0 0 0 0 0

Demaryius Thomas had a pair of drops and only managed to generate 18 receiving yards on five catches. For the season, Thomas is averaging just 7.4 yards-per-catch, which is an embarrassingly low figure for a wide receiver.

Emmanuel Sanders caught all four of his looks for 85 yards and has now caught 14-of-15 targets for 220 yards and a touchdown on the season. Despite trailing Demaryius Thomas in targets so far, Sanders should be viewed as Denver’s WR1. Baltimore’s inconsistent secondary is up next for Sanders and the Broncos.

Target and reception totals for Denver’s running backs through Week 2: Phillip Lindsay four targets, three catches, 35 yards, one touchdown. Royce Freeman 1/0/0/0. Devontae Booker 2/2/11/0. Phillip Lindsay looks like the new RB1 but Freeman has a firm grasp on short-yardage work.

Detroit Lions

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Theo Riddick DET 12 9 47 0 2
Golden Tate DET 11 7 109 0 1
Kenny Golladay DET 9 6 89 1 0
Marvin Jones DET 9 4 54 1 0
Kerryon Johnson DET 6 5 22 0 0
Michael Roberts DET 1 1 15 1 0
LeGarrette Blount DET 1 1 -3 0 0
Luke Willson DET 1 1 13 0 0

Matthew Stafford threw a whopping 19 targets to his running backs in Week 2, including a dozen to Theo Riddick, who caught nine but accounted for just 47 yards. Lions’ running backs only had 16 total rushes in their loss to San Francisco, which went for 81 yards.

The Lions are well represented on the overall NFL target leaders standings thru a pair of weeks. Golden Tate (22), Kenny Golladay (20), Theo Riddick (19), and Marvin Jones (16) are each in the top-30 on the list of intended passes heading into Week 3.

Detroit’s tight ends are not quite doing as well. In Week 1, Hakeem VallesLuke Willson, and Levine Toilolo combined to catch two out of four targets for 12 yards. In Week 2, they combined to only command two looks, which were both caught.

Green Bay Packers

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Davante Adams GB 12 8 64 1 1
Jimmy Graham GB 8 6 95 0 0
Geronimo Allison GB 6 6 64 0 0
Randall Cobb GB 5 4 30 0 0
Jamaal Williams GB 3 3 12 0 0
Ty Montgomery GB 1 1 9 0 0
Lance Kendricks GB 1 1 4 0 0
Marquez Valdes-Scantling GB 1 1 3 0 0

Jamaal Williams caught all three of his targets but hasn’t exactly overwhelmed with his stint as the three-down starter. Aaron Jones ran for 5.5 yards-per-carry and is fully capable of eating into, if not taking over, Williams’ share of touches. We’ll have to see how it plays out, just know that when Jones returned from a knee injury in Week 13 last season, he barely played as Williams dominated playing time.

Aaron Rodgers is hobbled and it could be quite some time before he’s fully healthy. Jimmy Graham was the biggest benefactor, jumping from two catches for eight yards in the opener to reeling in six of eight targets for 95 yards. This didn’t include a touchdown that was called back due to a holding penalty.

Davante AdamsRandall Cobb, and Geronimo Allison all had relatively stable target numbers in the first two weeks. With 11 catches on 13 targets through two games, Allison has gone from obscure to relevant quickly and needs to be owned in all leagues if he’s still available on the waiver wire.

Houston Texans

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
DeAndre Hopkins HOU 11 6 110 1 0
Will Fuller HOU 9 8 113 1 0
Bruce Ellington HOU 3 3 45 0 0
Lamar Miller HOU 2 2 2 0 0
Jordan Akins HOU 2 2 21 0 0
Ryan Griffin HOU 1 1 19 0 0
Jordan Thomas HOU 1 0 0 0 0
Alfred Blue HOU 0 0 0 0 0

Tennessee’s suspect secondary provided the cure for Deshaun Watson, who threw for 310 yards and a pair of scores while chipping in 44 more on the ground. Watson has lit up the Titans during his young career but the Texans weren’t able to muster enough offense to beat their AFC South rivals again.

Will Fuller missed Week 1 but made an explosive impact this week, catching eight of nine targets for 113 yards and a 39-yard touchdown bomb from Watson. Fuller has had issues with drops and was quite erratic last season. He’s got a lot of TD and big-play upside, but he’s a rather volatile weekly WR3.

Fuller’s arrival caused Bruce Ellington to drop from eight targets to three. When fourth-rounder Keke Coutee (hamstring) is healthy, he’ll probably move ahead of Ellington, which could happen as early as this week in Houston’s home opener.

Indianapolis Colts

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
T.Y. Hilton IND 10 7 83 1 0
Jack Doyle IND 5 2 20 0 0
Eric Ebron IND 4 3 26 1 0
Chester Rogers IND 3 3 17 0 0
Jordan Wilkins IND 2 2 3 0 0
Marlon Mack IND 2 1 2 0 0
Ryan Grant IND 2 2 30 0 0
Nyheim Hines IND 1 1 -2 0 0
Ryan Hewitt IND 1 0 0 0 0

T.Y. Hilton has gotten 10 targets in each of Indy’s first two games and caught a red zone touchdown in each game. In the past, Hilton has normally needed to rely on his deep speed to get into the end-zone, so seeing him develop a solid chemistry with Andrew Luck near the goal line is a welcomed addition to Hilton’s fantasy value.

Jack Doyle finished second on the club in targets again but was outplayed by Eric Ebron, who now has a TD reception in back-to-back contests. The Colts will continue to utilize a ton of ’12’ sets, but Ebron’s scoring prowess is making him quite appealing as a borderline TE1.

After absorbing nine targets against the Bengals, WR2 Ryan Grant dipped down to just a pair of looks in Washington. The Colts ran 82 plays in Week 1 and only 61 this week, so game-flow had a lot to do with Grant’s decline. Regardless, he may be the Colts’ WR2, but Grant is barely on the radar as a WR4/5.

Jacksonville Jaguars

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Keelan Cole JAX 8 7 116 1 0
Donte Moncrief JAX 8 4 34 1 2
Corey Grant JAX 6 6 56 0 0
Dede Westbrook JAX 5 4 83 1 1
Austin Seferian-Jenkins JAX 4 3 23 1 0
D.J. Chark JAX 4 1 13 0 0
T.J. Yeldon JAX 3 2 13 0 0
Niles Paul JAX 1 1 22 0 0
James O’Shaughnessy JAX 1 1 17 0 0
Brandon Wilds JAX 0 0 0 0 0

Donte Moncrief shook off a rough opener to tie for the team lead with eight looks, including a four-yard touchdown strike from Blake Bortles, who put up 377 yards and four touchdowns on Bill Belichick’s defense. Moncrief did commit a couple of drops and has only caught five of 13 targets on the season, so if you’re looking for a piece of the Jaguars receiving corps, he is quite polarizing.

Instead of T.J. Yeldon dominating touches against New England, Corey Grant earned 10, including catching all six of his targets in the passing game. Leonard Fournette was reportedly pretty close to playing last week, so don’t count on Grant to have much of a role once Fournette is back in the starting lineup.

Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook each surpassed 80 receiving yards and scored touchdowns. Westbrook has been doing most of his damage out of the slot while Cole looks like the team’s No. 1 wideout. Up next, the Jaguars host Tennessee’s shaky secondary.

Kansas City Chiefs

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Travis Kelce KC 8 7 109 2 0
Sammy Watkins KC 7 6 100 0 0
Tyreek Hill KC 6 5 90 1 0
Chris Conley KC 2 2 17 1 0
Kareem Hunt KC 1 1 5 1 0
Demarcus Robinson KC 1 1 3 1 0
Damien Williams KC 1 1 2 0 0
Spencer Ware KC 0 0 0 0 0

Tyreek Hill had a “quiet” game and still accounted for 90 receiving yards and only one touchdown. With the way Kansas City has been slinging the ball up and down the field, Hill is a locked-in top-5 fantasy wideout.

Sophomore QB Patrick Mahomes just set an NFL record with 10 touchdown tosses in the first two weeks of a season. Mahomes has been completely unstoppable, displaying pinpoint accuracy and showing off that gunslinger arm that drew him favorable comparisons to a more athletic Brett Favre. Up next for Kansas City, a San Francisco secondary that just yielded 347 passing yards and three scores to Matthew Stafford.

Kansas City’s passing success has been a slight hindrance to Kareem Hunt, who is averaging just 3.6 yards-per-carry and has yet to exceed 75 rushing yards. Hunt has also been targeted just once in each game. The balance will undoubtedly return, so Hunt owners will just have to take a wait-and-see approach. The breakout is coming.

Los Angeles Chargers

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Melvin Gordon LAC 7 6 38 2 0
Keenan Allen LAC 6 6 67 0 0
Virgil Green LAC 4 3 55 0 0
Austin Ekeler LAC 3 3 21 0 0
Tyrell Williams LAC 3 3 48 0 0
Mike Williams LAC 2 2 27 1 0
Antonio Gates LAC 1 0 0 0 0
Detrez Newsome LAC 0 0 0 0 0
J.J. Jones LAC 0 0 0 0 0

Melvin Gordon has led the Chargers in targets in back-to-back games to open the season and scored three total touchdowns. Gordon left LA’s Week 2 win and didn’t return but it seems like he was held out for precautionary reasons as the Chargers had a big lead on a hapless Buffalo squad.

Austin Ekeler is making the most out of his touches. Despite playing a clear secondary role to Melvin Gordon, Ekeler enters Week 3 as an RB1 in PPR leagues but is widely available on waiver wires.

Mike Williams’ target share dipped in Week 2, but he more than made up for it be nabbing a red-zone score from Philip Rivers.

Los Angeles Rams

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Brandin Cooks LAR 8 7 159 0 0
Robert Woods LAR 8 6 81 0 0
Cooper Kupp LAR 6 6 63 0 0
Todd Gurley LAR 3 3 31 0 0
Tyler Higbee LAR 2 1 3 1 0
Gerald Everett LAR 1 1 17 0 0
Malcolm Brown LAR 0 0 0 0 0

Brandin Cooks is like the Rodney Dangerfield of fantasy wideouts. He just gets no respect. Despite finishing as a top-15 wideout every year and starting off 2018 right on pace with consecutive eight-target games, Cooks is rarely discussed as a weekly WR1. Which he most certainly is.

Robert Woods has also rolled off back-to-back efforts with eight targets but hasn’t been as effective, nor does he come with the upside of Cooks. For Woods to wind up as a WR3, he’s going to have to start getting into the end zone. Easier said than done when you have Todd Gurley hitting paydirt as often as he does.

Tight end sighting. Tyler Higbee got LA’s first tight end target of the season, a three-yard scoring toss from Jared Goff. Despite playing for one of the league’s better offenses, both of the Rams’ regular tight ends can safely be ignored in fantasy.

Miami Dolphins

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Albert Wilson MIA 5 3 37 1 0
Kenyan Drake MIA 4 4 17 0 0
Danny Amendola MIA 4 4 32 0 0
Jakeem Grant MIA 3 2 27 0 0
Kenny Stills MIA 3 2 17 0 1
A.J. Derby MIA 2 1 19 1 0
Frank Gore MIA 1 1 19 0 0

Kenyan Drake got four looks in each of Miami’s first two games. While Frank Gore is still a factor as a runner, Drake did get a rushing score and should supplement his weekly output with a strong showing as a receiver. He’s on pace for 64 targets.

DeVante Parker is likely to suit up this week which will come at the expense of targets intended for Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, and perhaps cause Danny Amendola to split reps with Wilson. Kenny Stills might actually benefit from Parker being active.

Mike Gesicki has been out-snapped in each of the first two games by A.J. Derby, who got the only two targets that Ryan Tannehill intended for tight ends against the Jets. While Gesicki has a ton of promise, the learning curve for rookie tight ends is arduous. Gesicki can safely be dropped in redraft formats.

Minnesota Vikings

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Adam Thielen MIN 13 12 131 1 0
Stefon Diggs MIN 12 9 128 2 0
Kyle Rudolph MIN 7 7 72 0 0
Dalvin Cook MIN 5 3 52 0 1
Laquon Treadwell MIN 5 2 23 1 3
David Morgan MIN 2 2 19 0 0
Stacy Coley MIN 1 0 0 0 1
Latavius Murray MIN 0 0 0 0 0
C.J. Ham MIN 0 0 0 0 0

Adam Thielen picked up where he left off, recording 12+ targets in each of Minnesota’s first two games. Thielen’s 25 looks are tied for fourth in football through Week 2.

Stefon Diggs has also carried over his momentum but benefited more from the arrival of Kirk Cousins. Diggs has now caught three touchdowns on the young season.

Week 2 was a solid rebound week for Kyle Rudolph, who caught all seven of his targets for 72 yards. Rudolph only contributed one reception in the opener, so his increased involvement was certainly welcomed.

New England Patriots

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
James White NE 8 7 73 0 0
Phillip Dorsett NE 7 5 44 0 0
Cordarrelle Patterson NE 4 3 18 0 0
Rob Gronkowski NE 4 2 15 0 0
Chris Hogan NE 3 3 42 2 0
Jacob Hollister NE 3 3 35 0 0
Sony Michel NE 2 1 7 0 0
James Develin NE 1 0 0 0 0
Rex Burkhead NE 0 0 0 0 0

All bets are off in the New England receiving corps as the Patriots have sent a conditional fifth-round pick to Cleveland for Josh Gordon. Gordon passed a physical and is eligible to play in Week 3. Before you get too excited, keep in mind the complexity of New England’s offense and the difficulty that new wideouts have had learning the terminology and routes.

Once Julian Edelman returns the Patriots probably plan to trot out a top-three of Edelman, Chris Hogan, and Gordon, so that would mean a reduction in snaps and targets for Phillip Dorsett, who led the group with seven looks and five grabs against Jacksonville.

James White put up identical seven-catch, eight-target outings in the first two weeks. While the Pats’ receiving corps has struggled and remains a work in progress, White is delivering PPR RB2 numbers.

New Orleans Saints

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Michael Thomas NO 13 12 89 2 0
Ted Ginn NO 7 4 55 0 0
Alvin Kamara NO 6 6 53 0 0
Benjamin Watson NO 4 3 19 0 0
Tre’Quan Smith NO 1 1 18 0 0
Josh Hill NO 1 1 5 0 0
Zach Line NO 1 1 4 0 0
Austin Carr NO 1 0 0 0 0
Mike Gillislee NO 0 0 0 0 0
Jonathan Williams NO 0 0 0 0 0

Michael Thomas is the league leader with 28 receptions through two games and is second to Antonio Brown with 30 targets. Thomas’s 93% catch rate is unsustainable but is very impressive nonetheless. He’s also scored three times so far after seeing his red zone presence decline in 2017.

The Saints’ top-four targeted players remained the same in Week 2, with Ted Ginn remaining the clear No. 2 wide receiver, Alvin Kamara maintaining his role, and Benjamin Watson finishing fourth with four targets-per-game.

Austin Carr was the surprise starter in Week 1 and played 67% of the club’s snaps in the loss to Tampa. Week 2, Carr dipped down to 33% of snaps and got a single target, while rookie Tre’Quan Smith jumped from 19% to 33% of snaps.

New York Giants

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Saquon Barkley NYG 14 14 79 0 0
Odell Beckham Jr. NYG 9 4 50 0 0
Evan Engram NYG 8 8 72 1 0
Sterling Shepard NYG 4 2 19 0 0
Cody Latimer NYG 3 2 41 0 0
Rhett Ellison NYG 2 2 5 0 0
Wayne Gallman NYG 1 1 11 0 0
Russell Shepard NYG 1 0 0 0 0
Jonathan Stewart NYG 0 0 0 0 0

Eli Manning did not press the ball downfield against Dallas, instead relying on safer, short routes, mainly to Saquon Barkley, who was one of three NFL running backs to gobble up 14 receptions in Week 2.

Evan Engram also benefitted from the short passing game. Engram caught all eight of his looks for 72 yards, including Manning’s only touchdown of the game that came late in the fourth quarter.

Cody Latimer ran as the No. 3 wideout all summer and that has carried over into the regular season. Latimer has been in on 66% of New York’s snaps so far but hasn’t made much fantasy impact.

New York Jets

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Quincy Enunwa NYJ 11 7 92 0 0
Terrelle Pryor NYJ 8 4 84 0 2
Bilal Powell NYJ 6 5 74 1 0
Robby Anderson NYJ 5 3 27 0 0
Chris Herndon NYJ 4 2 29 0 1
Isaiah Crowell NYJ 3 2 4 0 0
Eric Tomlinson NYJ 2 1 24 0 0
Jermaine Kearse NYJ 1 1 -1 0 0

Another big day for Quincy Enunwa, who has clearly been Sam Darnold’s favorite target in each of the first two weeks. Enunwa is tied for 13th in the NFL with 20 targets and has already caught 13 passes. View him as a PPR WR3 as long as he remains featured.

Terrelle Pryor has ranked second in the Jets’ receiving corps in targets in each of the first two games. Pryor caught all three of this looks in the opener but only corralled half of his eight targets this week, including a pair of drops. Pryor has also been out-snapped in each game by Robby Anderson and it seems like only a matter of time before Anderson re-emerges ahead of Pryor.

Oakland Raiders

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Amari Cooper OAK 10 10 116 0 0
Jared Cook OAK 4 4 49 0 0
Jordy Nelson OAK 4 2 30 0 0
Martavis Bryant OAK 4 4 30 0 0
Seth Roberts OAK 3 3 43 1 0
Keith Smith OAK 3 2 12 0 1
Marshawn Lynch OAK 2 2 3 0 0
Doug Martin OAK 1 1 0 0 0
Derek Carrier OAK 1 1 5 0 0
Jalen Richard OAK 0 0 0 0 0

The odyssey that is Amari Cooper continues. After a putrid Week 1 in which he caught a single pass, Cooper was featured early and often in Week 2. Cooper caught all 10 of this targets for 116 yards against a formidable Denver secondary. This, of course, came after most people downgraded or even benched Cooper do to his erratic nature.

Jared Cook wasn’t as involved as he was in Week 1 but still wound up second on the club with four grabs off four targets. Cook leads all tight end, and is ninth in the NFL overall, with 229 receiving yards.

After catching nine out of 11 targets against the Rams, Jalen Richard fell off a cliff and went un-targeted against the Broncos. And you thought Amari Cooper was hard to predict.

Philadelphia Eagles

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Zach Ertz PHI 13 11 94 0 0
Nelson Agholor PHI 9 7 91 1 0
Corey Clement PHI 6 5 55 0 0
Joshua Perkins PHI 6 4 57 0 1
Kamar Aiken PHI 6 5 39 0 0
Shelton Gibson PHI 2 0 0 0 0
Jay Ajayi PHI 1 1 4 0 0
Wendell Smallwood PHI 1 1 2 0 0

Mike Wallace fractured his fibula against Tampa and will be out for the foreseeable future. While Eagles’ fans are no doubt ecstatic to get Carson Wentz back, Wentz will be without Alshon Jeffery, Wallace, and Mack Hollins

All those injuries are allowing Nelson Agholor to thrive as the team’s clear No. 1 target. Agholor now has 15 receptions on 19 targets and scored his first touchdown of the season on a perfectly-placed end zone ball from Nick Foles. Agholor should continue to surpass double-digit targets with Wentz under center.

Kamar Aiken went from the street to playing 78% of snaps and catching five of six targets. Aiken should continue to see a solid amount of playing time with all the injuries. He could be worth a speculative waiver add in PPR leagues with 16 or more owners.

Pittsburgh Steelers

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
JuJu Smith-Schuster PIT 18 13 121 1 0
Antonio Brown PIT 16 9 67 0 0
Jesse James PIT 5 5 138 1 0
James Conner PIT 5 5 48 0 0
James Washington PIT 5 1 14 1 0
Vance McDonald PIT 4 3 26 0 0
Ryan Switzer PIT 2 1 14 0 0
Roosevelt Nix PIT 1 1 19 0 0
Stevan Ridley PIT 1 1 5 0 0

No surprise to see Antonio Brown leading the NFL with 32 targets through two games. Brown was held mostly in check by the Chiefs, who limited him to nine grabs for 67 yards and no touchdowns. The Buccaneers will have their hands full trying to contain Brown next Monday night.

Juju Smith-Schuster had a huge second game, absorbing 13 of his NFL-high 18 targets and scoring his first touchdown of the young season. Smith-Schuster has exceeded 100 receiving yards in back-to-back games and ranks fifth in the league with 240 yards.

Don’t overreact to the huge game by Jesse James. Most of his production came from defensive lapses where the Chiefs simply forgot to account for James and left him uncovered. James is a block-first tight end and will cede most receiving work to Vance McDonald.

San Francisco 49ers

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Matt Breida SF 4 3 21 0 0
Pierre Garcon SF 4 4 57 0 0
George Kittle SF 4 2 22 0 0
Kyle Juszczyk SF 3 3 13 0 0
Garrett Celek SF 2 2 22 1 0
Alfred Morris SF 2 2 32 0 0
Dante Pettis SF 2 1 35 0 0
Trent Taylor SF 2 0 0 0 0
Kendrick Bourne SF 1 1 4 1 0

Despite getting out-snapped by Alfred Morris in both games so far, Matt Breida is leading the NFL with 184 rushing yards. Breida also tied for the team lead with four targets in Week 2. Breida has played nine fewer snaps than Morris so far in 2017 but that may change soon.

Dante Pettis started in place of Marquise Goodwin but didn’t do much in the passing game despite playing 88% of San Francisco’s offensive snaps, a number that led San Francisco’s skill-position players.

After leading the club with nine targets in Week 1, Detroit did a much better job accounting for George Kittle, who caught only two out of four targets for 22 yards. Up next, the 49ers travel to Kansas City to take on a Chiefs defense that just got annihilated by Jesse James.

Seattle Seahawks

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Tyler Lockett SEA 7 5 60 1 0
Brandon Marshall SEA 6 4 44 0 1
Will Dissly SEA 5 3 42 1 0
Nick Vannett SEA 4 3 23 0 1
C.J. Prosise SEA 3 3 22 0 0
Jaron Brown SEA 3 3 36 0 0
Rashaad Penny SEA 2 0 0 0 1
Chris Carson SEA 1 0 0 0 0
Mike Davis SEA 1 1 -1 0 0

The Seahawks will be without Doug Baldwin (knee) for several weeks. That’s going to mean an increase in targets for both Brandon Marshall and Tyler Lockett. That duo combined to catch nine of 13 attempts for 104 yards and Lockett’s touchdown against a tough Chicago secondary.

It’s hard not to question how Pete Carroll uses his running backs. Chris Carson made no impact in the second half and Russell Wilson only threw seven passes in the direction of the backs after attempting nine in the opener. Without Doug Baldwin, you would expect that figure to rise, not fall.

Will Dissly has scored in back-to-back weeks and saw five targets in each game. It’s a small sample size but Dissly looks like he’s going to be a weekly TE2, especially while Baldwin is sidelined.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Mike Evans TB 12 10 83 1 1
Chris Godwin TB 6 5 56 1 0
DeSean Jackson TB 4 4 129 1 0
O.J. Howard TB 4 3 96 1 1
Jacquizz Rodgers TB 3 3 23 0 0
Peyton Barber TB 1 1 7 0 0
Adam Humphries TB 1 1 8 0 0
Shaun Wilson TB 0 0 0 0 0

DeSean Jackson was cleared to play in this game and made an immediate impact, scoring from 75 yards out on the first play of the game. Jackson left Week 1 early and saw his snap share leap from 30% to 59% against the Eagles. Jackson is simply too hot to sit right now and will be a solid WR3/FLEX once again.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is one of the NFL’s good dudes and his post-game interview with a DeSean Jackson-provided outfit will go down as one of the season’s most memorable appearances. Fitzpatrick has exceeded 400 passing yards in both of Tampa’s victories and gets a Pittsburgh secondary that just permitted six touchdowns to Kansas City next.

Mike Evans is thriving with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. Evans has caught 17 out of 19 targets and ranks eighth in the league with 220 receiving yards.

Tennessee Titans

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Corey Davis TEN 7 5 55 0 0
Taywan Taylor TEN 4 3 32 1 0
Rishard Matthews TEN 4 2 8 0 0
Luke Stocker TEN 2 2 15 0 0
Tajae Sharpe TEN 2 1 14 0 0
Dion Lewis TEN 1 1 1 0 0
Derrick Henry TEN 0 0 0 0 0

Marcus Mariota (elbow) was unable to play against the Texans but it didn’t matter as Blaine Gabbert managed to lead the Titans to an improbable victory. Gabbert didn’t exactly excel in the game but was able to do enough as a game manager, which led to depressed numbers for the Titan’s pass catchers.

No. 1 wideout Corey Davis led the team in targets (7) and catches (5) but had a modest 55 receiving yards. Davis commanded 13 targets in Week 1, so look for him to rebound when Mariota is back under center.

Davis and Dion Lewis were the only skill-position players who played more than half of Tennessee’s snaps against Houston. Tajae Sharpe fell from 58 snaps in Week 1 to 28 versus the Texans. Taywan Taylor was the main benefactor of Sharpe’s reduced playing time. Taylor’s snap count jumped from nine to 24 and included a TD grab.

Washington

PLAYER TEAM TARG REC YDS TD DROP
Chris Thompson WAS 14 13 92 0 0
Paul Richardson WAS 6 4 63 0 0
Jordan Reed WAS 6 6 55 0 0
Josh Doctson WAS 6 4 37 0 1
Adrian Peterson WAS 3 3 30 0 0
Jamison Crowder WAS 3 2 8 0 0
Vernon Davis WAS 1 1 7 0 0
Jehu Chesson WAS 1 0 0 0 0
Rob Kelley WAS 0 0 0 0 0

Chris Thompson is the third member of our extraordinary triumvirate of running backs who caught 14 passes in Week 2. Thompson now ranks third in the NFL with 19 grabs and looks like a locked-in RB2 in PPR leagues.

Jordan Reed finally looks healthy and appears to have good chemistry with Alex Smith. Reed has hauled in 10 of 11 targets on the season, including all six of his looks against the Cardinals. Reed has a well-established injury history, so enjoy the TE1 production while it’s there.

Paul Richardson has actually led the Washington receiving corps in targets and catches in both games so far. Jamison Crowder, who is among the NFL’s best at creating separation, has been a big disappointment. It’s too early to give up on Crowder, but it might be time to remove him from fantasy lineups until his chemistry with Smith improves.

Check out target distribution by team to help with waiver wire pickups and trade targets partner-arrow


Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS

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

More Articles

3 Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Running Backs (2024)

3 Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Running Backs (2024)

fp-headshot by Anthony Corrente | 2 min read
Fantasy Football Mock Draft: FFPC Best Ball Picks (2024)

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: FFPC Best Ball Picks (2024)

fp-headshot by Tom Strachan | 3 min read
3 Fantasy Football Draft Picks to Avoid: Tight Ends (2024)

3 Fantasy Football Draft Picks to Avoid: Tight Ends (2024)

fp-headshot by Mike Fanelli | 2 min read
RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by TJ Horgan | 3 min read

About Author

Hide

Current Article

15+ min read

3 Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Running Backs (2024)

Next Up - 3 Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Running Backs (2024)

Next Article