Fantasy Football Target Trends for Week 5
Welcome to the Target Trends article for Week 5! The completion of Week 4 is always a landmark in my mind. Four weeks isn’t a huge sample size, but it’s large enough to start drawing some conclusions. While there have been some huge target performances over the first four weeks, only a few true target hogs have emerged. Let’s start this article, as usual, by looking at the overall target leaders so far this season.
Target Trends
Malik Nabers is running away with the league’s target lead over the first month of the season. His 52 targets through four weeks match the number put up by Puka Nacua last season, tying him for the most ever by a rookie over that span. Nico Collins checks in next, nine targets behind Nabers at 43. Diontae Johnson is third with 39 targets and another Giant, Wan’Dale Robinson, is currently fourth with 38 targets so far this season.
The tight end landscape continues to be an uncontrollable dumpster fire. Dallas Goedert leads the way with 28 targets, 19 of which have come in the last two weeks in the absence of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. That volume will be in question as the two wideouts are likely to return in Week 6 after Philly’s Week 5 bye. Brock Bowers ranks second with 23 targets, though he’s only mustered five over the past two weeks, even with Davante Adams sidelined in Week 4. Jake Ferguson, who has only played in three games, checks in at third with 23 targets on the season.
Running backs have been underwhelming in the passing game through four weeks. Breece Hall leads the way with 24 targets, which puts him on a 17-game pace of 102 for the season. De’Von Achane ranks second with 22 targets, while Alvin Kamara is tied with Jerome Ford as the only other backs in the league with at least 20 targets.
I’ll continue to lead off this article with season-long target leaders each week but for now, let’s check out the weekly target trends heading into Week 5.
Malik Nabers – 15 targets, 12 rec
Wan’Dale Robinson – 14 targets, 11 rec
Nabers’ status as an instant target hog cannot be overstated. He didn’t light the world on fire in Week 1 but has averaged 15 targets/game and a 46% target share over the past three weeks. He’ll need to clear the concussion protocol to play in Week 5, but he will have a few extra days since the Giants last played on Thursday night. Wan’Dale Robinson may be overshadowed by his rookie teammate, but he ranks fourth in the NFL with 39 targets this season. The WR combo has combined for a wild 66.1% team target share.
Nico Collins – 15 targets, 12 rec
Nico just keeps getting better. He has seen his targets increase week over week, from eight in Week 1 up to 15 in Week 4. The absence of Tank Dell this week may have played a role, but the fact remains that Collins is the second-most-targeted receiver in the league and the WR1 for fantasy football through four weeks.
Mike Evans – 14 targets, 8 rec
It’s been feast or famine for Mike Evans through the first four weeks. He had seen just 12 targets through the first three weeks, including a lowly three-target game in Week 3. Teammate Chris Godwin is out-pacing Evans in targets, yardage, and fantasy points through four weeks though Evans carries the higher week-to-week ceiling. He’s the type of big-play receiver who doesn’t necessarily need high target totals, but he certainly has a better chance to produce a spike week if he’s seeing double-digit targets.
Dontayvion Wicks – 13 targets, 5 rec
The Packers fell behind the Vikings early in Week 4, prompting Jordan Love to attempt a career-high 54 passes. Wicks was the top beneficiary, seeing a career-high 13 targets. He saw 58 targets as a rookie last season and is on pace to blow that away with 93.5 targets at his current rate. Nobody has emerged as an alpha in Green Bay as Wicks, Jayden Reed, and Romeo Doubs have all seen at least 20 targets through four games.
Diontae Johnson – 13 targets, 7 rec
Xavier Legette – 10 targets, 6 rec
There has been a stark difference between Johnson and Bryce Young versus Johnson and Andy Dalton. Johnson saw 12 targets in two games with Young, while more than doubling that with 27 targets from Dalton over his two games as a starter. Meanwhile, rookie Xavier Legette, who saw a goose egg in Week 2, not only saw a season-high 10 targets but also set new highs in snap share (87%) and routes run (37), the same amount as Johnson.
Drake London – 12 targets, 6 rec
Kyle Pitts – 3 targets, 0 rec
We may be finally getting the Drake London target share we’ve been craving for two-plus seasons. His targets have increased for four consecutive weeks, peaking at 12 targets in Week 4, tying his career high. He’s seen an impressive 34% target share over the past two weeks. It’s been less positive for Kyle Pitts, who has fewer targets than Darnell Mooney (24) and Ray-Ray McCloud (22).
Christian Kirk – 12 targets, 6 rec
Brian Thomas Jr. – 9 targets, 6 rec
Kirk managers were panicking, and rightfully so, as he saw just seven total targets over the first two weeks of the season. Things have turned around, as he’s now been targeted 22 times over the past two weeks. He leads the Jaguars in targets, but it’s been rookie Brian Thomas Jr. scoring the most fantasy points in Jacksonville. You can see their season stats compared in the table below.
| Player | Targets | Rec | Yds | TDs | Fantasy Pts |
| Christian Kirk | 29 | 17 | 169 | 0 | 31.4 |
| Brian Thomas Jr. | 26 | 17 | 275 | 2 | 49.3 |
Jaxon Smith-Njigba – 12 targets, 8 rec
DK Metcalf – 12 targets, 7 rec
Metcalf and JSN each saw double-digit targets on Monday night as Geno Smith attempted 56(!) passes. Metcalf has been more efficient with his 36 targets on the season, racking up over 100 receiving yards in three consecutive games. JSN has only seen three fewer targets but has been far less productive as he’s only topped 100 yards in one game and still hasn’t found the end zone.
George Pickens – 11 targets, 7 rec
Pickens never saw double-digit targets as a rookie, but did so twice in his sophomore season last year. The 11 targets he saw in Week 4 marked a new high for the third-year wideout. His 29 targets easily lead the Steelers, with tight end Pat Freiermuth (20) second and running back Najee Harris (15) third. Calvin Austin is the only other Steeler with double-digit targets on the season, barely meeting the threshold with 10.
New Orleans Saints Pass Catchers
It’s been an incredibly concentrated target share for the Saints through four weeks. Rashid Shaheed (26.3%), Chris Olave (25.3%), and Alvin Kamara (21.1%) have combined for 72.7% of the targets in the New Orleans offense. No other Saint has more than six targets this season. Alvin Kamara is the only running back in the league above a 20% team target share.
Courtland Sutton – 9 targets, 3 rec
It’s clear that Sutton remains the top target in Denver. He has 36 targets on the season, more than twice as many as any other Bronco. It’s less than ideal that the targets have not turned into more than 68 yards in any individual game, but at least he finally found the end zone in Week 4. He is likely to remain the top target in Denver and will gain fantasy value if rookie Bo Nix can continue to improve as the season progresses.
Mark Andrews – 1 target, 0 rec
There isn’t much to say here…Andrews simply isn’t a key component of Baltimore’s offense, at least in the receiving game. He’s been on the field blocking his heart out, but that isn’t useful unless you play in the rare points-per-block fantasy league (I don’t think these actually exist). There could be better days ahead for Andrews, but he has become unstartable in fantasy leagues until and unless he once again becomes involved in the Ravens’ passing game.