Fantasy Football Target Trends for Week 6
Welcome to the Target Trends article for Week 6! Let’s start, as usual, by looking at the season-long target leaders to this point.
Puka Nacua continues to lead all players with 62 targets. That puts him on pace for 211 targets, which would set a new NFL record. Chris Olave comes in next with 54 targets, and Christian McCaffrey is right behind him with 52 to lead all RBs. Jake Ferguson has 48 targets to lead all TEs, while Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams, and Ja’Marr Chase round out the top seven.
I’ll continue to lead off this article with season-long target leaders each week, but for now, let’s check out this week’s target trends heading into Week 6.
Stefon Diggs: 12 targets, 10 rec
Diggs had his biggest performance of the season on the back of his first double-digit target game since Week 3 of last season. He’s up to a 23% target share on the season after seeing more than 40% of New England’s targets in back-to-back weeks. That kind of usage makes him a must-start fantasy WR.
Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Puka Nacua: 12 targets, 10 rec
Puka is the WR1 thanks to his insane usage. As mentioned above, he’s on pace to set a new NFL target record. He’s seen at least eight targets in every game this season and hasn’t seen fewer than eight targets in a game since Week 9 of last season.
Mason Taylor: 12 targets, 9 rec
Taylor is the first rookie TE to see double-digit targets in a game this season. He has now seen his target count increase every week this season, though it may be tough to top 12 next week. Regardless, he is making a case to be the second most targeted pass catcher for the Jets behind Garrett Wilson.
Justin Jefferson: 11 targets, 7 rec
You probably don’t need me to tell you that Justin Jefferson demands targets, but he hasn’t been in this article yet this season, and he’s earned the right to have some words typed about him. He has been targeted 11 times in back-to-back weeks, which has resulted in two straight 100+ yards receiving games. The Vikings now head into the bye week after their European road trip, making Jefferson an interesting trade target if you can get by with him on your bench for a week.
Davante Adams: 11 targets, 5 rec
It’s safe to say there is a condensed target share with Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Adams and Puka Nacua have combined for a 60% target share. The veteran wideout has seen at least six targets in every game and does not appear to be slowing down in his 12th NFL season.
Kendrick Bourne: 11 targets, 10 rec
No George Kittle. No Jauan Jennings. No Ricky Pearsall. No problem. It appears Kendrick Bourne and Mac Jones retained some chemistry from their days together in New England, as the veteran WR saw a 23% target share Thursday night. The target share will be hard to predict when the Niners start getting healthier, but for now, Bourne appears to be the top target.
Jake Tonges: 11 targets, 7 rec
Speaking of the Niners, Tonges McBasketball tied Bourne for the team lead in targets. He’s been a TE1 in consecutive weeks, though his 11 targets this week more than doubled the season high of five from the previous week. Much like Bourne, Tonges is a viable fantasy option until the 49ers return to full strength, which might be a while.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Deebo Samuel: 11 targets, 8 rec
The Niners could probably use Deebo Samuel now, though he appears to be fitting in quite well in Washington. He’s the WR8 on the season on the back of 38 targets, including the 11 he saw in Week 5. His target share will likely take a hit when Terry McLaurin returns, though he should continue to be an important part of Washington’s offensive attack.
Calvin Ridley: 10 targets, 5 rec
Ridley was borderline dropable after finishing outside of the top 50 WRs in four straight weeks to start the season. That changed in Week 5, as he turned a season-high ten targets into the WR11 performance of the week. He may finally be on the same page as rookie Cam Ward, which would boost both of their fantasy values.
Kyren Williams: 10 targets, 8 rec
Williams is the third Ram to make this article. His 12% target share for the season means that 72% of the team’s targets have gone to these three players. He now has three receiving TDs this season, already matching the career high that he set in 2023.
Ryan Flournoy: 9 targets, 6 rec
If you aren’t familiar with Ryan Flournoy…you aren’t alone. The second-year WR now has as many targets this season as he did all of his rookie season. He did not see a target through the first two weeks of the season and only saw five over the next two weeks before exploding for nine targets in Week 5, which he turned into the WR12 performance of the week. He may not be able to maintain that pace, though he warrants consideration for fantasy lineups while CeeDee Lamb is sidelined.
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Cam Skattebo: 7 targets, 6 rec
It was disappointing that Skattebo only saw two targets in Jaxson Dart’s first start, but encouraging that they climbed to seven in his second. The rookie RB is dominating the Giants’ backfield while Tyrone Tracy is sidelined, including a healthy 19% target share over the last three weeks. Until Tracy returns, Skattebo is a must-start fantasy RB.
Darren Waller: 5 targets, 5 rec
It was a long ramp-up for Waller this offseason, and it may not be over. After sitting out the first three weeks, the veteran TE played 28% of the snaps in Week 4 and then 58% of the snaps in Week 5. He finished as a top-six fantasy TE in both weeks. If these trends continue…