Fantasy Football: Week 14 Target Report
The fantasy playoffs are officially here! Congratulations to everyone who survived the first week. In the playoffs, you need to take some chances and play the higher upside guys if you want to win. Using recent target numbers is a great baseline for measuring potential in who you decide to play. Let’s see who racked up targets from Week 14 that can help you win out in the playoffs. We will also take a look at some target numbers that were a bit concerning at the most crucial time of the fantasy football season.
Tyreek Hill: 14 targets, 8 rec
You will want to react to this one quickly as he is questionable for the Thursday night game but expected to play. Although he led the WRs in targets, it doesn’t feel great that he said himself that his ankle is “not good”. I’d still play him in Week 15 if active but hopefully, he doesn’t re-aggravate his ankle enough to keep him sidelined for the rest for the game at any point.
Amari Cooper: 13 targets, 10 rec
Amari Cooper has become the saving grace for a lot of fantasy owners once traded to the Cowboys. A lot of fantasy owners has traded him away thinking they were the smart ones but unfortunately, for those, it has proved the opposite. Cooper is as safe as you can get given his target volume as a Cowboy. He has racked up 26 targets in his last 3 weeks. As I mentioned on Twitter, “Amari Cooper has scored more fantasy points in his last 3 games than he had in his first 9 games COMBINED“. He’s a locked and loaded player during these fantasy playoffs.
Tim Patrick: 10 targets 7 rec
Look, Tim Patrick hasn’t given you much to be excited about this year but with Emmanuel Sanders done for the season, Patrick earned himself the most targets on the team in Week 14 with 10, the most receptions with 7 and in receiving yards with 85. You have to take some risks in the fantasy playoffs and although Patrick hasn’t given us consistency, sometimes, you have to go with the hot hand. Any time a WR is able to get double-digit targets, you have to think it could leak over into the next week at the very least. With the Cleveland Browns giving up the 11th most fantasy points to WRs on the season, I think it’s worth a play this week if you are struggling with your WRs this week of the fantasy playoffs.
Kenny Stills: 9 targets, 8 rec
Kenny Stills had his best game of the season since Week 1. This may be a case of fools gold as he had 8 receptions on 9 targets for 135 yards and a TD performance; he hadn’t topped 61 yards since Week 1. This Miami Dolphins offense is too hard to predict to trust anyone despite their huge last-second win against the Patriots last week. It’s safer to stay away from the anomaly-type game Stills had last week.
Kenny Golladay: 4 targets, 2 rec
Golladay had one of his worst games of the season in Week 14. Finishing the game with 2 receptions on just 4 targets for a measly 5 yards receiving. The Lions offense looks horrible and that doesn’t spell success for anyone. Although Golladay has his upside, he is, unfortunately, the victim of bad circumstances in Detroit at the moment. The Lions will have a tough matchup in Buffalo Week 15 so play Golladay only in desperation.
David Johnson: 10 targets, 8 rec
David Johnson had the second most targets behind Ezekiel Elliott for RBs in Week 14. Unfortunately for Johnson, it resulted in 8 catches (good) for just 12 receiving yards (bad). What can be said? This Arizona Cardinals offense is broken and has become the target for anyone looking for a defense to start against in fantasy football. It’s just too bad that the talents of David Johnson have gone to waste this season. He is currently the RB11 in .5 PPR formats so he is still an RB1. Just not what you were looking for when you drafted him as your first pick in fantasy drafts this season. He is someone that you cannot sit because of volume but you are not excited about playing in the playoffs.
Alvin Kamara: 6 targets, 5 rec
Kamara had just 36 yards on 5 receptions and 6 targets, a little concerning for an RB that relies on his targets for production especially, with Ingram on the field. Kamara has 37 or fewer receiving yards in the last 4 games. That said, he continues to produce for the most part and can not be on your bench for the fantasy playoffs. Expect both Kamara and Ingram to be fantasy produces in Carolina on Monday Night Football.
Jaylen Samuels: 7 targets, 7 rec
Samuels was possibly the most talked about play in Week 14 because he was able to be played in either the TE position of the RB position. Clearly, those who played him did so via TE position. He finished the game with just 28 rushing yards and 64 yards in the air. Not surprising considering he’s listed as a TE. He is a safe play this week vs the Patriots if you can still start him at TE.
Ian Thomas: 11 targets, 9 rec
Thomas led the league in both targets and receptions in Week 14. As I tweeted out, that you should have considered him as a play at the position last week and it worked out. catching 9 balls for 77 yards. A line that is fantastic for tight ends. Thomas has 14 receptions on 16 targets for 123 yards in his past 2 weeks. With Greg Olsen out of the picture, Ian Thomas can be your savior at the position for the fantasy playoffs.