Fantasy Football: Week 12 Target Report
Most of you by now should know if you have made the playoffs or not. There are those that need to win Week 13 to get in. Either way, let’s evaluate how the targets were distributed in Week 12. With all the injuries this season, there are some new names this late in the season that are stepping up and could be available for you to add to your rosters to give you your shot at winning your championship. Good luck in Week 13!
JuJu Smith-Schuster: 17 targets, 13 rec
We should always mention the weekly target leader and in Week 12, it was JuJu Smith-Schuster. Not only did he lead in targets but he led in receptions as well with 13. In fact, he had more receptions than any receiver had targets not named Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, and Calvin Ridley. Smith-Schuster finished his day with 189 receiving yards and 1 TD. He did have a 97-yard touchdown that was almost a carbon copy of his 97-yard touchdown vs the Lions last season.
Calvin Ridley: 13 targets, 8 rec
This was Calvin Ridley’s first game with double-digit targets, believe it or not (see what I did there?). This is somewhat surprising considering his early season success. Despite this great game (catching 8 balls for 93 yards and 1 TD), Calvin Ridley just hasn’t been reliable enough on a consistent basis to consider him a must-start. He is a player that will benefit in the right matchups where Matt Ryan will have to throw a ton.
Jermaine Kearse: 12 targets, 6 rec
Although this was his 3rd game this season in which Kearse has double-digit targets, it was his first time he scored a touchdown and only the second time this season he had over 35 yards receiving in a game. Besides Week 6 and Week 12, Jermaine Kearse has been fantasy football garbage.
Marcell Ateman: 10 targets, 3 rec
Here is one rare example of a wide receiver getting double-digit targets that should be completely ignored. So when I say follow the targets, I suggest following them on some kind of consistent basis (at least 2 or 3 weeks). This was only the second game for Ateman this season and although the target volume seems nice, he had just 3 receptions for 16 yards. He is at best, 3rd on the depth chart in a bad Raiders offense. I’d pay no attention to Marcell Ateman at this point of the fantasy season.
Jarvis Landry: 5 targets, 3 rec
Now, two games in a row Jarvis Landry has only been targeted 5 times. He has just 5 receptions in those 2 weeks for a total of 52 yards. This is concerning because not only does Jarvis Landry rely on heavy target volume for his fantasy production, but Baker Mayfield has been playing well and has proven he doesn’t need to target Landry often to perform at a high level.
Corey Davis: 4 targets, 4 rec
Corey Davis remains a hot and cold type WR. He has had great fantasy production in 2 of his last 3 games. Even though he’s hard to predict, you should trust that the Titans have been playing better football and Corey Davis is the best receiving option on the team.
Austin Ekeler: 11 targets, 10 rec
Austin Ekeler was used heavily in the passing game in Week 12. This is especially important because of the MCL injury to Melvin Gordon. Ekeler was definitely one of the hottest waiver wire pickups in Week 12 and should be a reliable RB while Gordon is out which could last deep into the fantasy playoffs if not, all of it.
James White: 5 targets, 1 rec
James White had his lowest target total since Week 3. He had 5 receiving yards on his lone reception. White still had 78 total yards as he added 9 carries for 73 yards. Sony Michel was back and had 133 yards of his own on the ground. Typically, White is still valuable for fantasy with or without Michel on the field. Clearly, between the two of them, they were able to get enough done on the ground against the Jets that White wasn’t needed much in the passing game. Look for White to bounce back in the receiving game in Week 13 vs the Vikings.