Fantasy Football: Week 10 Target Report
For most of us, there are just 3 more weeks of the fantasy football regular season remaining. There were a lot of “out of the norm” target volume in Week 10 to leave you second guessing everything you thought you knew as you prepare for your championship run. Hopefully, consuming this information will help you determine who can be a real contributor and who is fools gold down the stretch. Here are a few examples for you to digest.
Kenny Golladay: 13 targets, 6 rec
This is the game owners were waiting for since the Lions traded away Golden Tate. Kenny Golladay led all WRs in Week 10 with 13 targets. He did only catch 6 of those targets but turned it into 78 yards and a score. Let’s not focus on the 46.2% catch rate, here. Golladay saw significant volume this week and that is something that can be safely assumed on a weekly basis without Golden Tate in the mix.
Josh Gordon: 12 targets, 4 rec
Josh Gordon matched the target lead for the Patriots in Week 10. Only catching 4 of 12 targets is an outlier given the struggles Tom Brady experienced this week. Gordon still turned his limited catches into 81 yards, so he didn’t kill your team. At this point, it’s hard to bench him given the offense he is heavily targeted in. Anytime you’re getting double-digit targets from Tom Brady, you’re doing something right. He is a low-end WR2 rest of season given his boom/bust weeks.
Zay Jones: 11 targets, 8 rec
This was in a 41-10 win against the Jets with Matt Barkley at QB. This game was certainly an offensive explosion for the Bill and is likely something we will not see again. Matt Barkley favored Zay Jones in this game and it paid off. Yes, this could encourage more offensive play calls scripted for Jones, but it’s not something to bank on. Prior to Week 10, Zay Jones had not topped 55 receiving yards since Week 2 (63). Even with Josh Allen‘s expected return after the Week 11 bye, it would be wise to avoid anyone other than LeSean McCoy on this Bills offense.
Corey Davis: 10 targets, 7 rec
Everyone has their team they perform well against. For Corey Davis, the New England Patriots are that team. He put up 125 yards and a TD on them this past weekend. He looked great, catching what appeared to be uncatchable passes and Mariota continued to target him because of it. Davis is a special talent and there is no reason he shouldn’t be getting 10+ targets every week. He is a must own as the Titans offense appears to have taken a turn for the better.
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Amari Cooper: 10 targets, 6 rec
It’s the second week in a row Amari Cooper has led the Cowboys WRs in targets. He is definitely in a better spot than he was in, in Oakland. One negative here is the play of Dak Prescott. He is hesitant on the majority of his releases and is just not confident which caps Cooper’s upside. Hopefully, Prescott can gain some confidence after defeating the Eagles in Week 10 and Amari Cooper can benefit from it in the weeks ahead.
JuJu Smith-Schuster: 5 targets, 3 rec
JuJu Smith-Schuster received his second-lowest target total in a single game this season in Week 10. This is somewhat disappointing as the Steelers would end up scoring 52 points. Smith-Schuster did have a great fantasy day with 90 yards and a TD. Even that was a bit disappointing as 75 yards of that came on the very first play of the game for the Steelers. Such a bittersweet week for JuJu owners in “what could have been” but one thing is for sure, he is an every week start.
Doug Baldwin: 5 targets, 5 rec
At this point, it’s safe to say that Doug Baldwin should not be in your starting lineups. He just doesn’t look like the same wide receiver we saw last year. Between his injury and the decline in passing attempts for Russell Wilson, it’s just not a formula for success for Baldwin in 2018.
David Johnson: 9 targets, 7 rec
Well, look at that! David Johnson had himself a monster game. Usually, this is the case when you heavily involve DJ in the passing game. As long as this trend continues, David Johnson could be a league winner down the stretch.
Jacquizz Rodgers: 8 targets, 8 rec
This may have jumped out to you and maybe you are considering rostering Jacquizz Rodgers as a desperate flex play option going forward. Don’t. Do not read too much into this as the Bucs were playing from behind for the majority of this game. Prior to Week 10, Rodgers has failed to surpass 5 rushing attempts, 4 targets, or 5.1 fantasy points in a single game this season. Do not trust this outlier week from Jacquizz Rodgers.
Kenyan Drake: 2 targets, 2 rec
It’s officially time to retire the hopes of Kenyan Drake being a factor for fantasy football in 2018. It’s one thing to get out carried by Frank Gore, but when a 35-year-old RB is receiving more targets in the passing game and overall touches, it’s flat-out concerning. No matter how talented you believe Kenyan Drake is, the Miami Dolphins feel differently.
Zach Ertz: 16 targets, 14 rec
Zach Ertz led the league in targets and receptions in Week 10. Ertz is the new Gronk. He had a monster night catching 14 of his 16 targets for 145 yards and 2 TDs. The next closest TE from a target standpoint was Austin Hooper with 11. The next closest TE for receiving yards was George Kittle with 83 yards.
Eric Ebron: 3 targets, 3 rec
Eric Ebron more than doubled his best fantasy day in Week 10 with just 3 receptions on 3 targets! He turned his limited opportunities into 69 yards and 2 TDs. He also added a 2-yard rush for another TD on the day. Approach this with caution as Jack Doyle is still playing more snaps than Ebron and at the end of the day, 3 targets do not typically get the job done.